


The Rebel and Her King

by iAltoSax



Series: The Rebel [2]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Family Feels, Sequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:49:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 88,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25281904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iAltoSax/pseuds/iAltoSax
Summary: Belle and her kin survived the battle. 10 years passed, and when the company return to Bag End Belle and Thorin surprise Bilbo by introducing their three children. They've gotten their happily ever after, but the journey to their happy life wasn't as happy and easy as you may think. Join Thorin and Belle's 10 year struggle and what they had to go through to get their happy ending.
Relationships: Kíli (Tolkien)/Tauriel (Hobbit Movies), Thorin Oakenshield/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Rebel [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1831627
Kudos: 11





	1. It's Not Fair

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This story was originally published on fanfiction (6/17/15) and completed (2/25/16) and then it was published on wattpad. So I thought I'd put it on here for your reading pleasure! This is sister story to The Rebel. As I post each chapter, I'm hoping to correct noticeable mistakes that I come across. Some may slip through so I apologize.
> 
> I do not own the Hobbit! All rights belong to Tolkien (book references) and Peter Jackson (movie references). I only own Bellethiel and her family.

"Once everything settles down…you will get what you are owed…" I said as I spoke to Bard.

The bowman looked a bit taken back by what I had just said and looked at me in the oddest way.

"What?" I questioned in irritation after the two of us stood facing each other in silence for several minutes.

"Nothing." Bard answered quickly, shaking his head with a smile. "I'm just surprised that you bought it up and agreed without me so much as asking first. I thought I would have to persuade you still that we only want what you promised."

"Would you rather have had me say nothing?" I asked glaring up at the man.

"No, no." Bard said, holding his hands up in defense. "I'm curious though…what made you change your mind? After all, at the beginning, you decided you would rather go to war with us then give my people what was owed."

I took a quick glance to where Bellethiel was standing, leaning against the far wall and speaking with that elf lord and I couldn't help but smile in her direction. It was only when Bard started laughing a bit did I turn my attention back to the bowman.

"Something funny?" I questioned finding nothing about this situation amusing.

"No," Bard said with a smile. "I just figured out the reason for your change of heart."

"Hmph…" I grumbled, crossing my arms across my chest. "we should get their attention, there's something in the mountain that belongs to Thranduil as well. It's about time it should be returned…"

The two of us looked toward where Thranduil and Bellethiel were standing and Bellethiel said something to Thranduil as she motioned with her head toward us. Thranduil turned his head in our direction before pushing himself off the wall. The elf Lord made his way to where Bard and I were standing and came to a stop by Bard's side, his arms folded across his chest looking a bit impatient.

"White gems of Lasgalen, that's what you desire…it will be returned to you…" I said causing Thranduil's eyes to widen in shock. "I hope that you will accept this as a…apology for the trouble I have caused due to the sickness in that mountain, and a show of peace between our races."

"Quite a surprise…I was expecting more of a fight when returning at least what belongs to me." Thranduil said peering down at me.

"You two have the exact same reaction." I grumbled, glaring at bit up at the two. "Shall I just not give it back then?"

"I didn't mean it in an offensive way," Thranduil stated, shaking his head. "I just assumed with the tension between our races that you wouldn't be so kind as to simply agree and return my family heirloom."

"Things have changed…" I stated plainly. "we can discuss this more once everything is resolved, you will have what belongs to you, you have my word."

Bard smiled before holding his hand out to me and I gratefully took it and the two of us shook hands before I tentatively reached a hand out to Thranduil.

Thranduil glanced down at my hand before reaching out and taking my hand in his own, the two of us shook though it was a bit tense for my liking and I quickly retracted my hand the moment we let go.

"I will say this Thorin." Thranduil stated as he placed his hand back at his side. "You are very lucky to have Bellethiel at your side, she has served my family well…and I hope you take very good care of her. At one point in time we were good friends, and I am…happy to know that she will be in good hands."

I was a bit taken back by what the elf had said before I nodded my head nonetheless.

"What happens now?" Bard questioned, looking around the courtyard in front of the Great Hall.

"The dwarves who called Erebor their home will return…and I hope to restore Erebor to its former glory once more." I stated.

"Any dwarf that comes through my realm will be escorted safely through the forest." Thranduil offered. "I'm sure you and Bellethiel would appreciate that."

I nodded my head in thanks before asking Bard the same question.

"With the gold you give us, we'll be restoring Esgaroth and hopefully Dale." Bard said. "Though, we'll have to find a place as a temporarily resting place while the restorations are being carried out."

"Any of the survivors can take shelter in the halls of Erebor for as long as they want while their home is being restored." I offered as Bard smiled in relief.

"Thank you." Bard said. "The people of Esgaroth will be extremely grateful."

"We need a healer here!" I heard the frantic, panicked voice of Bilbo call out. "Quick!"

I looked to where Bilbo's voice had come from and I saw a large crowd gathering around the area. Gandalf began pushing his way through the crowd with Bellethiel's niece Thenidiel following close behind.

"What's going on?" I questioned.

"No idea…" Thranduil said, the three of us beginning to rush toward the scene.

"They found them! The Eagles! They found Beriohtarion and Balamaethor!" I heard Thenidiel call out, her voice starting to get drowned out by the crowd.

"What's going on?" I called out trying to push my way through the people that was crowded around the area. "Make a path!"

"Those who do not belong here, disperse!" Thranduil ordered causing more people to quickly move out of the way.

When everyone finally made a path for the three of us, I saw Bilbo standing nervously to the side as Gandalf and Thenidiel were crouched next to a fallen body…and when I recognized who that body belonged to my blood ran cold.

"Oh no…" Bard breathed out quietly.

"Bellethiel…" I whispered in shock. "Belle!"

I rushed forward, passing Bilbo and skidded to a stop, kneeling down close to Bellethiel.

"Thorin, you must stay back." Gandalf advised, but I chose to ignore the wizard.

"What happened?" I commanded.

"Thorin, please stand back!" Gandalf growled out.

"Nana!" I heard Thenidiel yell out. "Stay with me, Nana!"

"Take him away!" Gandalf ordered to someone behind me when I didn't move.

I felt two pairs of arms grab at me from both sides and began to pull me away causing me to struggle profusely against my captors.

"Uncle!" Fili's voice called out.

"You must calm down!" Kili's voice called from my other side. "I know you want to stay by Belle, but you can't!"

"You'd just be in the way!" Fili said. "Let the healers do their job!"

I ceased my struggling and their grip on me loosened, in that moment I forcefully pulled out of their grasp and watched as more healers started to crowd around Bellethiel.

The three of us watched from the side as I heard Thenidiel call out orders for more supplies.

"How did this happen…" Kili's voice was pained as we watched more people arrive to hand supplies to Thenidiel and the healers that have joined to help.

"I don't know…" I stated as I watched the scene sadly, my chest tightening when I knew I could do nothing but watch.

From the archway I saw more people running into the courtyard area and I saw Beriohtarion and Balamaethor being carried into the Great Hall.

"What happened?" A female's voice called out from behind us.

I looked behind to see a distraught Melda, covered in splotches of black and red blood.

"They found Belle's nephews…" Kili said. "and Belle…she's…"

"We don't know what happened to Belle…" Fili said sadly. "there's a bunch of healers looking at her right now…"

"I'll go and get some information for you three." Melda said after having possibly seen the look of distress on my face.

"Thank you…" I mumbled, grateful for her help.

Melda quickly ran to the group and started talking to a bunch of the healers that weren't busy and I could see her expression getting agitated the more she talked to the people around.

She suddenly started running back to where we were and I already knew the news was bad.

"She's sustained a very fatal injury…" Melda informed me. "she's lost a lot of blood…and they're worried that because she waited too long to get to a healer…that she may not make it."

"I can't lose her…" I mumbled, as I kept my gaze on where the group was gathered.

"They're trying their best to stop the bleeding…Gandalf is doing everything in his powers as well…" Melda said, trying her best to put our worries at ease.

"What about her nephews?" Fili questioned.

"Balamaethor is unconscious and has a large gash on his head while Beriohtarion sustained heavy injuries all over his body…" Melda said sadly. "The healers in the Great Hall are tending to them as we speak…but they don't know if they can do anything that could help them other than wait and see what happens."

"Cousin!" Dáin called as he came running to my side. "What's happenin'? I heard screams?"

I could not speak…just kept on staring forward.

Dáin followed my gaze and looked on in question.

"What's goin' on there?" Dáin questioned.

"Belle…" Fili said his voice choking and unable to finish his sentence.

"What happened to the lass?" Dáin asked with urgency.

"Lady Bellethiel is fighting for her life Lord Dáin…" Melda answered, using honorifics.

"Is the lass dying?" Dáin asked, causing Melda to shake her head.

"No, they're trying their best to save her…but if things don't go as planned…" Melda cut herself off, shaking her head furiously; not wanting to say that there was even a possibility they could fail.

I sunk to my knees, not being able to hold myself up any longer due to the shock.

"Uncle!" I heard my nephews call out in alarm, coming to kneel beside me.

'Why…why wouldn't she go to a healer the moment she knew…' I thought in irritation. "Why did this happen…"

"She's there because she wanted to save you…"

I turned to see that seer, Tirananniel, walking up to us.

"If you want me to explain…then please let's speak somewhere private." Tirananniel said, motioning for me to follow. "There's a tent we can go to…your kin should come along as well."

I looked back to where I knew Bellethiel was and got back up on my feet, deciding to follow the elf to the tent.

When we arrived, Tirananniel opened the flap to the tent for us and I walked inside followed closely by my nephews and my cousin.

The tent was empty, there were no chairs or anything to sit on and I heard the flaps of the tent flutter close behind us. I heard Tirananniel sigh as she made her way around us before coming to a stop straight in front of me.

"Please explain…" I pleaded to the seer. "why did this happen?"

"Bellethiel and her nephews are fighting for their lives because of what Bellethiel decided to do." Tirananniel stated.

"What she decided to do? What did Belle do?" Kili questioned.

"The Valar are very twisted one could say…one life for the other I suppose…" Tirananniel whispered quietly to herself. "Do you truly want to know Thorin II Oakenshield why Bellethiel and her kin are in the state that they're in?"

"Yes," I stated firmly. "what do you mean by one life for the other?"

Tirananniel stared at us with a hard stare before she opened her mouth and spoke rather bluntly without missing a beat.

"You and your nephews weren't meant to be alive." Tirananniel stated.

"What did you say?" Dáin growled out angrily.

Tirananniel held up her hand to silence my cousin before she continued to speak.

"Let me finish before any of you interrupt. I tell you this now because we now have a different future, the path that was supposed to be taken no longer matters thus will have no consequences if I tell you this." Tirananniel said firmly. "In Imladris, I had shown Bellethiel what was to happen at the end of this quest you had set foot on. What she had seen was your death. I showed it to her because I was trying to protect her for I knew she was already developing feelings toward you…I could see it in her eyes even if she didn't realize it herself what she was feeling. I was hoping…she'd stay away, but it had quite the opposite effect."

"Our deaths." I breathed out. "What do you mean?"

Tirananniel sighed before she shook her head.

"She made it her mission to try and stop your deaths; she thought that through all the hardships you had gone through that you deserved to sit on the throne of Erebor. So, after she came to that decision, when you had banished Bellethiel from the mountain, the future had changed slightly…but your deaths were inevitable…it urged her to further attempt to stop your deaths. She tried everything in her power to go against destiny…and this is the price she is paying." Tirananniel spoke sadly. "When your nephew Fili was dangling over the edge in Azog's grasp he was supposed to die by execution. Kili was supposed to die when he attempted to save Tauriel from Bolg…and you Thorin, you were supposed to die on that lake when you faced up against Azog by yourself. Bellethiel prevented your deaths…thus she is paying the price with her own life and her nephews were caught in the middle. The moment she wanted to intervene, the future had changed. I don't think she took into account that her nephews would be involved."

"We should be dead…" Fili said as I saw him stumble back a bit.

"You should, but Bellethiel made sure you three survived." Tirananniel said. "You've been given a future, a second chance, you should be grateful…it's not everyday people get a second chance."

"Grateful? Belle is dying! Her nephews are dying!" Kili yelled out. "How can you say that? Belle is your friend isn't she?"

"I say it because I think she knew what could possibly happen to her if she saved you three. She told me she would take whatever consequences come her way; she would've given up her life for yours!" Tirananniel said angrily. "Yes, I am saying you should be grateful! Am I happy that my friend is dying? No! But I'm telling you to not let her sacrifice be in vain!"

"Why didn't she go to a healer?" Dáin asked.

"I'm assuming she was waiting to make sure you didn't fall back to the dragon sickness and that the alliance between Thranduil and the dwarves of Erebor were restored." Tirananniel said sadly.

"What's going to happen?" I questioned, looking to Tirananniel. "Can you see what's going to happen to them?"

Tirananniel, sadly, shook her head.

"No, the future is unclear and hidden from me as of now…and I cannot see what's to happen to her. Ever since her bath became entwined with yours, it has been ever changing." Tirananniel said. "Though, I wish I knew…"

"Belle…" Kili said quietly while all I could do was think over what had been told to me.

'She's there because of me…' I thought sadly.

"Thorin!"

The flap of the tent was pushed open and in walked Thenidiel, huffing and puffing as she stood up straight and looked at us.

"How's Belle doing?" Fili asked.

"We've stopped the bleeding…but we're not sure for how long." Thenidiel informed, looking down sadly. "They're taking her to the Great Hall as we speak…"

"What about her nephews?" Kili asked. "Are they okay?"

"I don't know…when I head back to the Great Hall I was going to see what happened." Thenidiel mumbled before smiling sadly to Kili. "Tauriel has returned as well, she's inside the Great Hall assisting where she's needed. I will take my leave Thorin…"

Thenidiel bowed before exiting the tent.

"Join us in the Great Hall when you are ready my King…" Tirananniel said, walking past us and heading to the flaps of the tent. "with so many injured…Bellethiel would want everyone doing their part…she would be upset to know I'm doing nothing."

And with that, Tirananniel left the four of us alone in the tent.

"Uncle…" Fili said, coming up to me as I felt a hand being placed on my shoulder. "we should go and see how Belle and her family are doing…"

I couldn't say anything, I just nodded my head and walked out of the tent and headed straight for the Great Hall.

Once we got inside, there were healers knelt at the sides of the injured, many were running from one place to the other carrying bandages and jars of what I assumed was ointment in their arms. The four of us carefully maneuvered to the side and edged our way further into the Great Hall, making sure to keep out of the way of the healers.

I already knew where my elf was for in the far back of the Great Hall I saw my company sitting around a makeshift cot. On either side of the company were two other cots that had healers surrounding the beds.

I swiftly made my way to the group and Balin was the first to notice our presence, and he gave me a sympathetic look.

"How is she?" I asked as soon as I came to stand besides Balin.

"She hasn't woken up…hasn't moved…" Balin answered as he stepped to the side for me to get a better look at Bellethiel. "Gandalf said he doesn't know if she **will** wake up…"

Lying in the cot was my Belle…her eyes were closed and she looked to be peacefully sleeping. Her hands were folded together, placed on top of her stomach and her armor was stripped off, leaving her in just the black tunic that she wore underneath. Her skin was pale, and not the healthy pale like when I had first set my eyes on her back at Bag End. She had a sickly, deathly pale complexion and all I wanted at this moment was for her eyes to open and look at me with those ice blue eyes that I loved so much.

"How could this happen…" Dwalin grumbled from besides his brother. "she should've gone to a healer…"

"Why did this happen…" Ori said as his older brother flung his arm around the young dwarf in a comforting matter. "it just doesn't seem fair…"

I sighed and decided to retell what Tirananniel had told us back in the tent and once I was finished talking, everyone was sitting in silence. Everyone staring at the elf that was lying unmoving in the cot, the only indication that she was alive was the slow movement of her chest rising and falling.

"Oh lass…" Bofur mumbled sadly.

"You need to pull through this now…" Dwalin growled out. "you must! After all the trouble you went through, after **everything** you've been through, you can't fall short now!"

"She was always looking out for us…" Bilbo said as he knelt besides Belle, taking his sleeve and whipping his eyes from the tears that began to fall from his eyes. "she should've gone to a healer…"

I stepped forward, gently pushing through the company and went over to the other side of Belle. I knelt by her side and carefully reached out; unlacing her hands, and took one of her hands into my own.

"Belle, my sweet…thank you for everything that you've done for me and my family…" I mumbled quietly as I placed a feathered kiss on her hand, and then rested my forehead against her soft, delicate hand. And as I held it against my forehead, her fingers unmoving, I could feel my heart clench. I felt like I was being suffocated as I thought that there could be a possibility that she would never open her eyes. That I would never see her stunning eyes that looked at me with so much love and admiration. Hear her enchanting voice that always spoke properly, and the more I thought about possibly losing her…the more my chest would tighten and I started to become short of breathe. "but now…you must come back to me. Open your eyes my love..."

I tried to take a deep breathe, tried my best to calm down before I felt something snap and I couldn't hold it in any longer, tears started to fall from my eyes and onto to cot.

"Don't leave me…don't go where I can't follow."


	2. Not In A Festive Mood

The day came and went for the survivors and everyone that was camped in what was left of Dale was busy for the remainder of the day. There was not one person just sitting about doing nothing, the healers were running about rushing to tend to the wounded, and those that weren't wounded were guarding the outskirts of the city making sure that none of the orcs that retreated back would dare attack again. Thorin, Bard, and Thranduil were busy negotiating in the tent that Tirananniel had bought Thorin and his kin in with Gandalf baring witness and making sure an argument wouldn't transpire between the leaders. Bilbo…well Bilbo stayed by Bellethiel's side having not the heart to leave his friend alone.

When night crept up on the survivors, the cold came along with it. Thorin, Thranduil and Bard began to discuss about relocating the survivors into the halls of Erebor to protect their people against the biting cold, or at least protect the race of men from the cold.

With the help of those that were capable of moving the wounded from Dale to Erebor, they were able to assist the injured and the wounded over the makeshift bridge that the dwarves created into the protected walls of the kingdom. The survivors made themselves comfortable and at home…they felt safe and were able to finally relax.

The next day however there was talk of a celebratory feast, a feast to rejoice in reclaiming the mountain and coming out victorious against such terrible foes. And while the talk of a feast began to lift the spirits of the warriors and survivors, it was a completely different story for Thorin and the company. For the first time, they weren't in the mood for song and dance…for how could they celebrate when those that had played an important part in the quest wouldn't be joining them. The absence of their friend affected everyone and their activities.

Dwalin was more irritable than usual, Ori would be found attempting to draw and document the journey, but failing. Fili and Kili weren't even in high spirits like they usually were. Balin would be found alone in the library with a book in front of him, reading the same lines over and over, having a hard time concentrating. Even Bombur who loved to eat and Bofur who loved to sing took no joy in their activity...it was the same for the rest of the company as well.

The only people who knew of the great sacrifice Bellethiel and her kin made for the line of Durin was the company, Dáin, Tirananniel, and quite possibly Thranduil and Bard for whenever they would look at Bellethiel they looked at her with a heavy expression…so sadly, Thorin had no say in the matter of there being a great feast, because those that had to go through such a traumatic ordeal needed something to be happy about.

Thorin had specifically moved Belle into a secluded room, away from the Gallery of the Kings were all the survivors were gathered and resting, it was a room that was special to Thorin for it had belonged to him when he lived in Erebor. He had made sure that the room was cleaned out before they had laid her on the soft bed. And as for Bellethiel's nephews, there was a room that was right across from Bellethiel, whose room it belonged to though he had quite forgotten. The only thing he knew was that when he opened the door he saw two beds that would be good for Bellethiel's nephews.

When everyone had settled down last night Thorin had stayed sitting by Bellethiel's side, falling asleep on a chair beside the bed. The only time he left the room was to make sure that his guests were being well taken care of, they were all huddling together in the Hall of the Kings, sleeping on the gold floor. Thorin could smell the food being prepared as he passed the kitchen area causing Thorin to let out a sigh, thinking on how he could possibly celebrate when Bellethiel wouldn't be by his side to enjoy such a happy occasion.

"Uncle." Fili called out as he opened the door to the room that held Bellethiel, letting his uncle know that it was only him visiting. "The feast is about to start…"

"How's Belle doing?" Kili questioned as he stepped out from behind his brother.

Thorin shook his head as he got up from the chair beside the bed and turned to his nephews.

"Hasn't moved…no changes in her condition…" Thorin stated sadly as he walked past his nephews. "we should go…we shouldn't be late to the feast…"

Fili and Kili took one last look to where Bellethiel lay before turning to follow their uncle out the door.

As they were walking the halls to where the feast would be held they saw Thenidiel walking toward them.

"Thenidiel." Kili greeted. "Will you be attending the feast?"

Thenidiel shook her head, and looked to Thorin sadly.

"I don't think I can celebrate with Nana and my cousins not attending…I think I will stay with them and watch to see if there's any change in their condition…" Thenidiel mumbled.

"Attend the festivities." Another voice said out of the blue causing Thenidiel to turn around to come face to face with Tirananniel.

"But…" Thenidiel said, trying to refuse and come up with a reason as to why she should not attend only to have Tirananniel hold up her hand to silence her.

"The feast is to celebrate your victory, you are part of Thorin's company…you helped reclaim the mountain. Just as it's important for Thorin and his kin to attend, it is just as important that you are there as well." Tirananniel stated. "I will watch over Bellethiel and her nephews."

"You won't be joining?" Thenidiel asked.

"If you ask anyone, they'll tell you that I'm not one for parties." Tirananniel smiled sadly. "If Bellethiel, Beriohtarion, or Balamaethor's state worsens, I will come to retrieve you."

Thenidiel looked down sadly before reluctantly nodding her head. Tirananniel patted Thenidiel's shoulder before walking past her, heading to where Thorin and his nephews had come from, and disappearing through the door that Bellethiel was in.

"I guess that's it then…" Thenidiel said, smiling sadly to Thorin. "Shall we go? We wouldn't want to be late."

Thorin nodded before leading the way, the four walking through the halls in silence, dreading going to the dining hall where the feast was being held…a feast they weren't in the mood for.

There was muffled laughter the moment the four reached the large double doors that led to the dining hall, the smell of food reached their nose. Thorin reached out and placed both his hands on the double doors, pausing for a bit before pushing against the doors. The doors creaked loudly causing the sound of merriment to quiet down. Thorin was the first to enter and all eyes were directed toward the new comers, everyone in the room smiling at the King.

"Let's get this over with…" Fili mumbled as he followed his uncle through the doors, Kili and Thenidiel following right behind.

The dining hall was huge, possibly fitting close to several hundreds. In the middle, stretching from close to the double doors to the far back was a long wooden table. At the far back was a large chair that was reserved for Thorin, three seats close to the large throne-like chair was empty and the company sitting close by. On both sides of the long table were three other long tables, all the seats were already taken by men, dwarves, and elves. The three races mingling, drinking ale, and eating leftover food that was bought by Thranduil to Bard when they were taking shelter in Dale. The three races were enjoying themselves as if there was no ill will anymore toward each other, that everything was now water under the bridge.

The silence was soon broken as everyone erupted into cheers.

"All hail King Thorin! All hail the King Under the Mountain!" The room cheered, everyone greeting Thorin as he passed by to get to the very back of the hall toward the large chair.

Thorin sat at his chair with Fili sitting on Thorin's right and Kili sitting on the left. Beside Kili was Bilbo, Dáin, and Bard while next to Fili was Thenidiel, and Thranduil. The company sat on either side after the leaders.

The celebration continued, the people going about their cheery way, but the company sat and observed. All of them filled with concern and sadness, and everyone feeling guilty for being a part of this celebration when they know that there were three important people missing.

"I can't do this…" Thenidiel mumbled sadly, clenching her hands in her lap. "I'm sorry…I need to leave…"

A hand was placed on Thenidiel's shoulder, and when Thenidiel turned to look at who the hand belonged to, she saw that it belonged to Thranduil.

The elf lord was leisurely drinking out of a simple wine cup, but he wasn't looking at Thenidiel. His eyes were set on whatever was in his cup as if it was the most interesting thing in the world, a solemn expression on his face.

"Don't get up, it would be considered rude." Thranduil whispered quietly so only Thenidiel could hear. "As hard as it may seem…you have to endure it. You're here representing Bellethiel and your cousins. If I know Bellethiel, and I know her very well…she wouldn't want you to just get up and leave. Even she would probably say it would be considered rude. They're in good hands, I promise you."

"My Lord…" Thenidiel mumbled a bit in shock, before squeezing her eyes shut, taking in a deep breath to calm her nerves. "you're right…"

The celebration went on, but even with the advice from Thranduil, Thenidiel wasn't able to enjoy the festivities.

"Bellethiel would be so disappointed if she were to see us now." A voice said as someone came to stand beside Thorin, bringing those in the company, Bard, Thranduil, and Dáin's attention to the person beside Thorin.

Thorin blinked, snapping out of his thoughts, before looking to his side to see Mellimeldisiel staring emotionlessly out into the crowd. Her hands were folded in front of her and her head was held high.

"Hm?" Thorin mumbled, looking curiously up to the elf.

"If Bellethiel were here, if she could be here, she would ask us what in the world do we think we're doing, acting this way…" Mellimeldisiel stated, never taking her eyes off the crowd. "she would want us to be happy and celebrating such a success."

"And how exactly could we possibly be happy at a time like this…" Thorin growled out, glaring just a bit up at the elf. "there are three people who played a key role in our survival lying in bed who could possibly die any minute and we're here feasting and drinking."

"We should be happy because she would want us to be happy." Mellimeldisiel stated. "You are upset because you can't be by her side, but like many have already said…she is in good hands. Tirananniel is with her, she was always looking out for Bellethiel when Bellethiel's parents left. I think Tirananniel considers Bellethiel her responsibility, so with her being injured you can be sure Tirananniel is keeping a close eye on the state of Bellethiel."

Thorin sighed, still unable to bring himself to enjoy this party. Mellimeldisiel let out a huff before reaching out and placing a hand on Thorin's shoulder.

"Bellethiel will be fine; she's gone through countless wars…she will pull through this and return to you. But right now, she would want everyone to be merry and celebrating this victory. It's a celebration to honor the lives that were lost, to honor those that fought alongside you, to celebrate the mending of three alliances, and to celebrate reclaiming the mountain." Mellimeldisiel said. "Be cheerful because she would want you to be...be happy for Bellethiel."

"I'd hate to agree with it…" Thranduil stated, taking another sip from his cup. "but Mellimeldisiel is right. We would never hear the end of it if Bellethiel were here, she'd be lecturing us for hours with those cold blue eyes of hers."

"She pull that on you as well?" Mellimeldisiel said with a knowing smile.

"Too many times to count…even if I was the one she answered to, it didn't matter." Thranduil chuckled. "If a lecture was needed she would not hold back, no matter if you out ranked her."

"We saw that in Rivendell when she was talking to Dûrion." Bilbo said with a slight smile. "Quite scary…"

"The lass gave that same look when she left the mountain to head back to Dale with Gandalf and Bard." Dwalin laughed, not wanting to mention the banishment part.

"Hopefully I won't need to experience any of her lectures." Bard said with a smile.

"My cousins said that her stare can be scary." Thenidiel said as she remembered the time when they arrived in Esgaroth, showing a true smile for the first time since Bellethiel fell unconscious.

"I remember that," Bard said, laughing a bit. "she can be scary, and I can only imagine how terrible her lectures would be."

"She would make you feel the absolute worse for what you did until you end up seeing the error of your ways." Mellimeldisiel said with a chuckle. "Best hope that you never get any of her so called 'talks.'"

"I've seen the sprite fight and that was terrifying enough. If her words and eyes can instill that much terror, even to the woodland sprite, then I cannot wait to get to know the lass." Dáin said, letting out a loud, hearty laugh causing Thranduil to glare slightly at the dwarf Lord.

The company all started to talk amongst themselves, now smiling as they remembered the good times they had with Bellethiel and her nephews.

While the company spoke, Thorin thought for a bit with a heavy heart before he reached out to take his goblet into his hand and stood from his chair. Everyone in the room instantly fell silent, with all eyes on Thorin as he cleared his throat and addressed the large crowd.

"Today, we celebrate our victory against a great enemy. Alone, we would have fallen, but together, we came out triumphant. We could not have accomplished this without rallying together with the Men of Esgaroth," Thorin said as he turned to look at Bard. "and the Elves of Greenwood." Thorin then turned to look at Thranduil before looking to the crowd once more. "We've had our…differences in the beginning, but I am thankful that we are able to put it behind us. But I digress, we celebrate our victory, but we can't forget those that we have lost. We've lost loved ones, friends, and comrades…and if you think about it, this should be a time of mourning for all sides. But I think…those that we lost that we held close and dear to our hearts would want us to be happy instead of mourn. They cannot be with us physically, but I think they are here celebrating with us…they're still here even if we cannot see them. We shall not forget them...so, let us be merry and have this celebration in honor of those that we lost, to our victory, and to a new beginning with a mended alliance between our races."

Thorin looked around the room, seeing the faces of people in the crowd fall as he assumed they were remembering the friends that they have lost, before looking back up to Thorin. Everyone took a hold of whatever cup they were using to drink from and held close to them.

"Cheers." Thorin called out, lifting his goblet high.

"Here here!" Everyone in the room erupted in loud cheers, taking a drink from their cup and the merriment continued soon after Thorin sat.

Thorin looked to the company, to Dáin, Thranduil, Bard, Bilbo, and lastly…to Thenidiel as he smiled to the elf before holding his cup to them. A few words that were only meant for those that were around him, words that only needed to be said to them.

"To Bellethiel, Beriohtarion, and Balamaethor." Thorin said quietly with a sad smile.

"To Bellethiel, Beriohtarion, and Balamaethor." Everyone around him called out as everyone took a long swig from their cups.

'We'll have another celebration…' Thorin thought as he smiled at the company who soon began to lighten up just a bit. 'and when that time comes…you will be here by my side…celebrating and smiling with me.'


	3. Lady Dís

I pinched the bridge of my nose in irritation, it's been at least a week since the feast was held and from the start I was swamped with such tedious assignments given to me. I won't say that I'm not enjoying this work, it's just that because of all the stuff I had to attend to, it's been keeping me busy and it's also been keeping me away from being by Bellethiel's side.

Bard and I have gone straight to work making plans and preparations on restoring Dale, we decided that Esgaroth would have to wait. When I had asked why we shouldn't try restoring Esgaroth first, Bard replied that he feels that they shouldn't take advantage of my hospitality, that if they were to work on Esgaroth first they would still need to stay in Erebor to work on Dale. I assured him that having him and the survivors in Erebor is no trouble at all, but he wouldn't budge from his decision. So with the help of the gold in this mountain, we started contacting people and with the help of Dáin and Thranduil speaking to a few people, we were able to bring as much resources needed to at least try and rebuild some of the structures in Dale, at least so the buildings are safe and warm to accommodate all the survivors.

Thranduil had decided to head back to the Woodland Realm, stating that there would be patrols going through the forest to assist any dwarves that passed through his realm. He assured that they would safely escort any groups to the mountain to which I was extremely grateful for. With Bellethiel's followers, they stayed in the mountain and helped move debris around and out of the mountain by order of Thenidiel, who surprisingly took the leadership role with counseling from Mellimeldisiel and Tirananniel. Thranduil had stated that their banishment was lifted, but they all decided that as much as they appreciate the offer, their place was by Bellethiel, a decision Thranduil respected.

The elves that stayed behind split into two groups, one staying in Erebor to help us while the other went into Dale to assist Bard every day before the sun rose.

The things that were going on weren't the cause of my problems now, the reason for my troubles was that word has spread and dwarves were beginning to return back to the mountain. Dwarves that had a problem with elves being in the mountain and I had to ensure that no trouble would arise due to unnecessary arguments between the two races. Thankfully, Thenidiel made my job easier as she spoke to all the elves that remained in the mountain to keep out of the way of the arriving dwarves and if they have confrontation to just walk away and go about their work.

And as if being the peacemaker wasn't enough, my grandfather's counselors were the first group of dwarves to arrive in the mountain…they voiced rather bluntly and rudely on their dislike on elves being inside the mountain...that they had no right to stay. Balin made it slightly easier; being part of the counsel he was able to have them see some reason as to why they were here. After we had told them everything, they were a little apprehensive to believe that elves would have returned to the mountain to willingly help dwarves…and at some point during the conversation I had lost my patiences.

I had told them that if they are saying that the story we told about Bellethiel and her kin is a lie then they are also calling me a liar, which shut them up instantly.

I gave them no chance to reply for I simply got up and left, stating that the elves were to stay and that this would be the last conversation they have about it.

"Thorin." Balin called out, following out after me.

"I will not go back in there Balin, if they want to talk about other problems then I will go back and listen and speak with them. If they're going to talk to me about forcing the elves to leave then I will not sit in on this meeting." I stated plainly.

"I will deal with them when it comes to Belle and her kin." Balin stated, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Belle and the rest will not be going anywhere if I have anything to say about it. Go and get some rest, you've been very busy these past several days."

I nodded my head and left to where I wanted to be at the moment, by my elfs side. I went straight to my room and found Belle right where I had left here, she hadn't moved and Bilbo and Ori were there by her side, reading from a book they had gotten from the kingdoms library.

"Thorin." Bilbo greeted, having looked up when I had entered the room.

"Any changes in her condition?" I questioned as I came to sit on the chair that was on the opposite side of the bed.

Ori shook his head and closed the book sadly, placing it on the table beside the bed.

"She hasn't moved, not even a twitch…" Ori said sadly. "We thought…maybe if we read something, talked to her, she would hear us and maybe…"

Ori's voice cut off and looked down a bit bashfully and I smiled a bit.

"I'm sorry, but could you leave us a bit…" I asked as Bilbo and Ori nodded before standing and leaving the room, closing the door behind them.

"Hello…Belle." I spoke as I reached out to take her hand into my own. "I'm sorry I haven't been around these past few days…there have been complications arising now that the dwarves are returning to the mountain. My grandfather's counselors, who were the first to arrive, seem to have a problem with you and your kin being in the mountain. Many of the dwarves that arrived seem to have a problem with elves in the mountain…we're planning on telling them your story. We're trying to restore Erebor and Dale with the help from Thranduil and Dáin…Esgaroth will come later when Dale is safe for the survivors to take shelter in."

I squeezed Belle's hand, wishing…hoping she would react and squeeze back.

"Thenidiel has taken over while you're here…with a little help from Mellimeldisiel and Tirananniel." I said chuckling a bit. "She was born to lead...must have gotten that trait from you."

I let out a sigh as I leaned back in the chair.

"I don't mind the work, the responsibilities…I'm just very frustrated when they keep telling me to force you and your friends out of the kingdom." I chuckled once more. "I wanted to get rid of you from the beginning of this quest...now I'm making sure that you never leave my side."

I placed her hand back to her side, reached out and moved a strand of her hair out of her face before cupping the side of her face and I smiled lovingly down at my elf.

'You look so peaceful…' I thought as I bent forward and placed a light kiss on her forehead, before bringing my own to rest upon hers. "If you can hear me…I'm begging you to wake up."

The creaking of the door opening bought my attention away from Belle and when I turned to look toward the entrance I saw Dwalin standing right in the entrance of the doorway.

"What's going on now…?" I questioned in slight irritation, leaning back in the chair.

"More dwarves have arrived, and someone's here to see you." Dwalin informed, smiling a bit.

"Can't it wait until later…I haven't been able to visit Bellethiel due to all the meetings I had to attend with my grandfather's counselors." I sighed in irritation.

"I'm afraid they're rather adamant about seeing you today." Dwalin stated. "Fili and Kili are already there, meeting them. The lass will be fine for a little while longer, I think her niece was going to stop by and check up to see how she's doing."

I sighed as I got up from my chair and began to leave, taking one last look at Bellethiel's form before closing the door behind me.

"They're waiting in the throne room." Dwalin informed as I nodded my head.

"Thank you my friend…" I mumbled as I turned directions and headed toward the throne room.

Up and down stairs, my feet carried me in the direction to the room Dwalin said the visitor awaited. I knew the place by heart that I ended up at the throne room in minutes…an empty throne room.

'I thought Dwalin said they would be here…' I thought in irritation, walking up to the chair. 'there's no one here!'

I walked up the stairs and placed a hand on the chair, waiting a couple of minutes before I sighed in irritation. I pinched the bridge of my nose and decided that I wasn't going to stay here any longer and began to leave.

"You!"

I froze in my tracks…I knew that voice. I hadn't heard it in a very long time, and it took a lot to make me nervous…but this voice always stopped me in my tracks especially when they used it in such a scolding tone.

"Well, aren't you going to turn around?" The feminine voice questioned in slight annoyance.

I turned around to come face to face with an exact copy of me, except…it was a bit more of a feminine me. She was dressed in a blue corset, off shoulder dress with fur lining the top. She had light sideburns that reached down to bottom and outlined her chin, thick braids on each side of her face and her black hair pulled back. Fili and Kili were behind her smiling my way and when I failed to say anything she crossed her arms across her chest looking impatiently at me.

"Hello dear sister." I greeted as I walked toward her.

Dís smiled toward me and met me half way. Once I was in arms reach she immediately enveloped me into a hug, practically squeezing the life out of me.

"I'm so happy that you are okay." Dís said, her voice quivering just a bit. "I was so worried that something was going to happen to my boys!"

"We're fine Dís…" I said, recovering and wrapping my arms around my sister.

Dís pulled away, taking the sleeve of her dress and wiping stray tears from the corner of her eyes.

"We have our home back…" Dís said with a smile.

"The kingdom is ours once more." I said, sharing a smile.

"Kili has filled me in on everything that's happened up until now." Dís said before glaring at me. "I hope you do intend to give back what they are owed to the people of Esgaroth and, as much as I dislike the elf, to Lord Thranduil."

"I've been having some meetings with the three of us and discussing our next plan of action. Thranduil's heirlooms were already returned to him and Bard is taking the gold slowly whenever he needs it for the restoration of Dale." I said with a smile causing my sister to smile proudly at me.

"That's good to hear, shame on you Thorin for acting the way you did!" Dís scolded. "The war between our races could've easily been avoided."

"At least I've changed my ways now." I defended.

"My boys also told me about Bellethiel and her nephews…" Dís mumbled quietly, looking at me sadly. "would you mind if I were to meet her?"

I sighed before nodding my head and led the way back to where I had come from, reaching the door quickly and opened it for my sister and my nephews before stepping in and closing the door behind me.

Just as Dwalin had said, there was Thenidiel sitting by Bellethiel's side finishing up rewrapping her wounds.

When Thenidiel finished and turned to look at the door, she stood up immediately and looked at us in confusion.

"I'm seeing…two Thorin's?" Thenidiel questioned, rubbing her eyes before blinking at us and placing her hands over her eyes. "I think this is a sign that I should be getting more sleep…"

I glared slightly as I saw Kili leaning on Fili, the two with their heads lowered and their shoulders shaking slightly before shaking my head.

"You're not seeing two of us Thenidiel…" I said with a slight smile and placing a hand on my sisters shoulder. "Thenidiel, this is my sister Dís. Dís this is Thenidiel, Bellethiel's niece."

Thenidiel recovered and stood at attention before bowing at the waist.

"My apologies Lady Dís, I meant no disrespect." Thenidiel said a bit too quickly, before standing tall and blushing a bit in embarrassment.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Thenidiel." Dís said with a smile. "And Dís is fine, a lot of people always confused us for each other when we were younger."

"But still…I am sorry." Thenidiel mumbled, chuckling a bit.

"How are her injuries?" I questioned, going over to sit on the chair by the side of the bed.

"It's healing up well…" Thenidiel said, reaching over to pull the blanket up to Bellethiel's chest. "but…when exactly Nana wakes is for her to decide…"

I nodded my head as I watched Thenidiel begin to gather her things together.

"I'm going to head on out and check on my cousins." Thenidiel said as she was about to head out the door. "If anything changes then you'll know where to find me."

When the door closed, Dís came to sit on the chair opposite of me with Fili and Kili pulling up chairs beside their mother.

"Thank you." My sister said causing me to look to her curiously, but she wasn't talking to me, she was looking down at Bellethiel. "I wish I could've told you this in person, face to face. When Fili and Kili told me about what you've done for my people, and how you protected my family. I was thrilled to meet you and your nephews. Until…they told me what your friend had said to them…about how my boys were supposed to be dead…how they should be dead. But because of your families sacrifice, they were able to live and get a second chance, and for that I cannot express how extremely grateful I am to you...I am in your debt. I don't know what I would've done without my boys and without my brother. I hope you and your nephews wake up so I can tell this to you three. Be able to speak with you, exchange stories, gossip, and tell embarrassing stories about my brother."

"I don't think Belle is the gossiping type." Fili smiled to his mother.

"Nonsense! All girls gossip, no matter what the age." Dís said laughed.

I watched as Dís smiled down to Bellethiel before turning her attention to me, her eyes set in a slight glare. She leaned forward, placing her elbows on the bed, laced her fingers together and placed her chin on top her hands.

"So, are you planning to court her?" My sister questioned catching me completely off guard.

"Excuse me?" I questioned.

"You heard what I said dear brother." Dís said before repeating herself once more. "Are you, planning to court her?"

"I don't think I want to have this conversation with you." I mumbled.

"Uncle braided her hair and gave her one of his beads before we entered the mountain." Kili piped in before he looked away the moment I turned my glare to him.

"Oh did he now?" Dís said smiling cheekily at me, causing me to look away from her stare.

"Again, I will not discuss this with you." I mumbled quietly causing the three across from me to laugh.

"Fine, I can take a hint, but at least tell me this." Dís said as I took a side glance back to my sister. "Do you love her?"

I looked back down to Bellethiel before cracking a slight smile.

"Of course I do." I spoke out without missing a beat.

"Then that's it then, I approve." Dís said, her smiling growing wider as she leaned back in her chair.

"I didn't ask for your approval." I growled out, still with a smile on my face.

"The family of the courter has to approve the one they're courting." Dís said with a cheeky smile. "Fili and Kili may already approve, and so does the rest of the company I'm assuming, but I'm your sister and my approval counts the most."

The four of us shared a laugh before we settled in a peaceful silence, none of us speaking a word.

"You look happy, even when we lived in the mountain you didn't look this happy. I can only assume it's her doing." Dís commented, as she looked down toward Bellethiel. "I love her already and can't wait to meet her. Don't worry yourself to death Thorin, from the stories I've heard of her heroic deeds and her personality, she'll be fine."

"Everyone seems to be saying the same thing to me." I stated sadly.

"Then you better start believing it." Dís scolded in a slight threatening manner. "Not to mention…she has people waiting for her, and someone special to come back to. She'll wake up soon."

"Hmph." I scoffed, looking to my sister. "Since when did you become so mature?"

"I've always been mature, there's just no fun being mature all the time." Dís commented causing Fili and Kili to laugh.

* * *

The family talked happily together, catching up on the past two years and making up for lost time. Dís spoke about what she's been doing in the Blue Mountains in their absence and then Fili, Kili and Thorin spoke about their quest. Everything from the moment they stepped foot in Bag End, the friendships they've made with Bilbo, Bellethiel and her kin, up until the end of the battle and the fall of Azog.

When they finished retelling their story, Thorin and Dís began to reminisce about their childhood and their time in the mountain. Sharing the good and the bad times and just getting lost in the past with Fili and Kili listening intently.

But something happened that went unnoticed to the four sitting around the bed. The family was so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't see Bellethiel's fingers twitch slightly at her side.


	4. The Decisions We Make

"What are you saying?" Bilbo exclaimed, taking a step back. "Selling my things? But I'm not dead!"

It has been more than a week now, almost reaching the two weeks mark since the battle, since the feast and Tirananniel had taken Bilbo aside to speak about an important matter. Tirananniel had seen something that had to do with people selling his things back in the Shire.

"It's what I saw Bilbo, and I thought you should know about it." Tirananniel stated, looking down sadly at the hobbit. "You've been missing for more than a year and they're going to auction off your things."

"I…I've got to go home. I've got to stop them before they sell all my things! The nerve! I'm not dead!" Bilbo stuttered quite flustered, pacing where he stood before something crossed his mind. He stopped pacing and his shoulders slumped and he gave a sad sigh. "I…I can't leave. Not yet. Belle…she hasn't opened her eyes. I can't leave without knowing she'll get better…I'd always worry and-and…"

Tirananniel looked down sadly at the hobbit whose shoulders began to shake as he kept his eyes to the ground.

"You are conflicted." Tirananniel said as she kept her hands laced in front of her, not quite sure how to comfort the little hobbit.

"No, I'm not conflicted." Bilbo spoke out too quickly, swiftly looking back up to Tirananniel. "Sell my things for all I care!"

"It's okay to say that you are." Tirananniel said, smiling down sadly to Bilbo. "It's stuff that belonged to your family."

Bilbo shuffled a bit before looking down in shame.

"I don't know what to do…" Bilbo mumbled. "maybe I could ask Thorin, or Gandalf even, if they could send someone to settle the matter without me having to leave just yet..."

"Bilbo…you should go back to Bag End." Tirananniel said bringing Bilbo's attention back to the elf. "As much as I don't want to say this…the journey is over and a burglar is no longer needed…"

"I-I know that my job is done now…but…" Bilbo mumbled, looking completely torn as to what to do. "can you see if Belle will wake up?"

"As much as I want to say that she will…I cannot see if they will be alright or not…" Tirananniel mumbled causing Bilbo to sigh. "Their future is very unclear..."

Tirananniel was hesitant for a while before she reached down and placed a hand on Bilbo's shoulder.

"I'm sorry Bilbo…I don't know what I can say to help." Tirananniel mumbled. "But I know…that if you were to decide to go back to Bag End, Bellethiel will not hold it against you if you were to leave while she was still recovering."

"Tirananniel is right Bilbo." A voice called out.

Bilbo turned around and saw Thenidiel smiling sadly down at him.

"Nana wouldn't be upset if you were to go back to Bag End while she recovered." Thenidiel said. "We will send you messages every chance we get to keep you updated if anything good or bad happens."

Thenidiel reached out, her hand hesitating for a bit before she placed her hand on Bilbo's head, patting his head in a way she had seen her Nana do on many occasions.

"You helped reclaim a home. Would be very upsetting if we find out you then lost your home, wouldn't you agree?" Thenidiel said with a smile.

"Yeah I…I suppose so…" Bilbo mumbled.

"I'm sorry to cut this conversation short, but I have some things to attend to." Tirananniel apologized. "If I do not see you before you depart, then I want to say that I wish you a safe journey back home Bilbo."

Tirananniel left, leaving the elf and the hobbit alone in the middle of the hallway.

"I don't want to go…" Bilbo mumbled once Tirananniel was out of sight.

"But you have to…" Thenidiel said looking down to Bilbo, smiling just a bit. "Nana will understand."

"Promise to write to me, to let me know if anything changes?" Bilbo questioned, looking up to Thenidiel.

"I swear to it." Thenidiel said with a smile. "You have my word Bilbo."

Bilbo smiled up sadly to Thenidiel before shuffling a bit from side to side. "I suppose I should go looking for Gandalf and get to packing…" Bilbo said as he looked behind him. "I'll see you around Thenidiel?"

Thenidiel nodded and smiled causing Bilbo to smile back, and with that in mind, Bilbo and Thenidiel went their separate ways. Thenidiel went to check on her family while Bilbo went in search of Gandalf and began to think when he should depart and if he should tell the others or not.

* * *

The moment the sun began to barely peak over the mountain was the exact moment Bilbo decided to depart and leave the mountain. He did not wish to say goodbye to the rest of the company…he didn't think he would be able to handle such a sad farewell. And deep inside…he felt a little ashamed to be leaving when Belle still hasn't fully recovered from her wound. He was leaving without knowing if his friend was going to be okay or not and he felt the absolute worse because he was leaving all because of material things...even if it was his home all his life and been in his family for years he still felt guilty.

When Bilbo had told Gandalf the day before that he wanted to leave early the next day, Gandalf nodded his head in understanding and went to take care of their transportation and provisions. Bilbo didn't have much to pack…all he had was just the acorn in his pocket, the clothes on his back, and the sheathe that held his sword attached to his belt. He didn't have the heart to claim any of the treasure in the mountain, the guilt of claiming anything in the mountain and leaving while his friend was still hurt would eat him up for a lifetime.

Bilbo was exiting the kingdom with Gandalf by his side as they quietly left the mountain and across the makeshift bridge was a horse and a pony tied off waiting to take them back to the Shire.

"Songs will be sung. Tales will be told." Gandalf said with a smile as they stopped to admire the scene one last time. "As I have said…you'll have a tale or two of your own once you get back."

"Yeah…" Bilbo mumbled, looking to the ground sadly. "I feel absolutely horrible for leaving…"

"It is…difficult…" Gandalf mumbled looking down at Bilbo. "but...I think all will be right in the end."

"I'm going to miss everyone…" Bilbo said with a sad smile. "but it was a great adventure."

"Hm…" Gandalf said as he took a glance behind him.

"Well then…shall we go and slip quietly away…?" Bilbo mumbled about to take a step and walk across the makeshift bridge.

"Hold on just a second Bilbo." Gandalf said with a smile. "I think there is someone here who has something to say to you."

Bilbo stopped and turned to look up at Gandalf in confusion, wondering what exactly he meant, but Gandalf was not looking back at him. No, Gandalf was looking back behind them. Bilbo followed Gandalf's gaze and was in utter shock at what he saw.

Standing in a line at the entrance to the mountain was the company all smiling back at Bilbo, some with tears in their eyes, and at the very front was Fili, Kili, and Thorin with Thenidiel standing at the side by Dori. In Thorin's hand was what looked to be a large backpack of supplies many other things attached to the bag.

"You know if I recall correctly…it's rude to leave without saying goodbye." Fili said with a smile.

"And I don't think you want to be rude, right Bilbo?" Kili said with a smile.

Bilbo hesitantly took a step toward Thorin and once he was in arms reach, Thorin held up the bag to Bilbo.

"A share of the mountain, some gifts from the company, and extra supplies." Thorin said as he handed the bag to Bilbo. "Thought maybe you would need it on the long journey back."

"How…how did…?" Bilbo began to stutter, looking to the bag and back to Thorin and the company in confusion.

"Tirananniel." Thenidiel simply stated causing Bilbo to let out a sigh.

"Thorin…I-I can't take this…" Bilbo mumbled as he attempted to hand the bag back to Thorin.

"No, Bilbo…take it." Thorin said, shaking his head as he smiled down to Bilbo. "Don't feel bad about it either. We understand, and so does Bellethiel and her family. You are welcomed to come back any time you wish."

Bilbo smiled at Thorin before shouldering the bag onto his back.

"Oh!" Bilbo said, coming to realize something as he dug into his other pocket and bought out what looked to be a handkerchief. He quickly went up to Thenidiel and held the handkerchief up to the female elf that looked at it curiously.

"A handkerchief?" Thenidiel questioned, not sure what to do with it or why Bilbo was giving it to her.

"Belle gave this to me at the very start of this adventure…she said I didn't need to give it back to her but…I figured I should." Bilbo mumbled, smiling at Thenidiel.

When Bilbo explained the significance of the handkerchief she simply shook her head and pushed Bilbo's hand back.

"If my Nana intended to let you keep it then you should keep it." Thenidiel said. "I suppose this is goodbye and until we meet again."

Thenidiel looked to have slight tears in her eyes as she bent down to place a kiss on Bilbo's forehead.

"Be safe on your journey back to the Shire." Thenidiel said, wishing Bilbo good luck.

Bilbo nodded as he took a step back and looked back at the company. He thought for a second, shuffling to both sides before he addressed the company.

"Uh, if any of you are ever passing Bag End, uh…" Bilbo stopped himself, stopping himself for just a bit as he nodded. "…tea is at 4:00. There's plenty of it. You are welcome anytime."

Everyone standing at the entry way of the mountain bowed at the waist toward Bilbo, including Thenidiel. Bilbo turned to walk back to Gandalf before he suddenly stopped and turned back around to the company.

"Uh…" Bilbo said, his voice finally cracking just a bit as he smiled. "don't bother knocking."

The company all shared a laugh, and they watched as Bilbo turned to leave with Gandalf. Watching as their burglar left on his journey back home, they didn't move from their spot until they could no longer see their friend.

* * *

_Darkness…that is all I can ever see. Every time I walked I was never going anywhere and there was not a spec of light…I don't even know how long I stayed in this darkness. Was I afraid though? No, I felt no fear…nothing…all I did was wonder around this black void. If I was going anywhere I did not know…or I could just be walking in place. This must be what death feels like, aimlessly wondering around in darkness with no place to go…no purpose._

_I wonder how Thorin's doing…what about my family…the company._

" _Thorin…" I whispered, looking down to my feet, feeling a sudden ache in my chest. "I am so sorry Thorin…"_

_Though, I feel like I've been wondering in darkness for a very long time because I can slowly feel my body failing me. I'm getting more tired and at some moments I find myself losing myself and who I was. But why am I wandering in darkness…I always assumed once someone dies the experience is like when you fall asleep...your mind shuts down and then...there's nothing.  
_

_Where am I? What was I thinking about again? Who was I thinking about? I forgot…_

" _Bellethiel."_

_Bellethiel…that's my name, right?_

" _Bellethiel."_

_Two voices, that sounds like two voices that called my name._

_In front of me I saw a flash of light. The small dot started to get bigger, larger, and it was chasing the darkness away and instead of being shrouded in darkness I was now engulfed in light. The light seemed to have chased away the ache in my chest, and I felt at peace...almost as if the light banished all the worry and concern that I was feeling.  
_

_Lines started to form around me, the lines creating forms and the forms slowly creating scenery around me. The scenery began to color, the vegetation turning green and the sky above me turning blue…it was so beautiful, it felt like paradise…a paradise I wouldn't mind staying in forever._

_I smiled as I went over to one of the trees and sat right under, and the moment I relaxed against the tree I could feel my eyes start to close._

' _This is peaceful…I could stay here forever.' I thought as I felt my body begin to relax, my eyes closing every so slightly. 'I'm so tired…I guess staying here for a bit wouldn't hurt…'_

_I don't know how long I stayed sitting there...but every so often I could hear a faint sound of someone calling to me, sometimes I choose to ignore it...figuring it was just my imagination, but then the voices began to get louder._

" _Bellethiel!" A woman's voice called out urgently. "Get up!"_

" _Don't you dare fall asleep!" A man's voice called out angrily. "Get up! Now!"_

_I opened my eyes, startled by the suddenly urgent calls and I got up to look around to see where the voices were coming from._

" _This way!" The male's voice called out from the right of me. "Come this way! Follow our voices!"_

_I decided to get up out of curiosity and head in the direction where I had heard the voices coming from._

_The voices kept calling to me and I kept following, the sound of rushing water reached my ears and got louder the closer I got to the voices._

_A river…that's where the voices led me to…the water was still and I looked across to see that the scenery also stopped. There was no trees, no grass, no blue skies…all that was across from me, across the river, was pitch blackness._

_I walked up to the edge of the river and looked down to glance at my reflection, but I saw nothing staring back at me…the water was eerily still._

' _What am I doing here…?' I thought as I sat at the edge of the river. 'Why did the voices want me to come here?'_

_I stared at the water for a while and once I blinked my eyes there were two people reflected in the water. These two people were identical in looks, but one was a man and the other was a woman. The male was dressed in golden armor while the other was wearing a beautiful white dress and they appeared to be looking right at me._

" _Bellethiel." The reflection of the man spoke, the voice closer now and I looked up to see the two standing right across the river._

" _It's good to see you again, Bellethiel." The woman said with a smile._

_I got back on my feet and looked at the two in confusion._

" _I am sorry…do I know you two?" I questioned._

" _You stay here any longer and you will forget yourself." The man said looking at me sadly. "You've already forgotten us by being here too long."_

" _You need to come across the water Bellethiel." The woman said, urging me over. "You can't stay there…you don't belong there. It's not where you belong."_

" _What do you mean I do not belong here?" I questioned, glaring slightly to the two. "I have been in the darkness for too long, why would I leave this place when I just got here?"_

" _If you stay there you will never leave!" The man yelled out. "Do you want to leave Thorin behind?"_

" _Who?" I questioned._

" _You have to remember Bellethiel." The woman said. "Do you want to leave them all behind? If you stay there then you will be leaving them all. They need you, my boys need you, his daughter" the woman said gesturing to the man beside her. "needs you...he needs you to come back to him."_

" _Who needs me?" I questioned, stepping close to the edge of the water. "Who is Thorin! Who are you two!"_

" _You need to come across the water!" The man called out, smiling at me. "Come across and you'll get your answers."_

_I took a step into the water, but hesitated just a bit and looked behind back to the place I called paradise. Did I want to leave?  
_

_I didn't think twice after that, I felt that even though I wanted stay sitting under that tree…there was something scratching at the back of my mind to go across the water...that I needed to be on the other side of the river. I immediately started threading through the water, making my way across the river to where the two people were standing. There was a point in the river where I couldn't touch the bottom so I had to submerge my head under and swim across…I don't remember the river being so wide._

_I finally reached the other side and I pulled myself up onto the dry land, but when I looked around…there was no one waiting for me._

' _Where did they go?' I thought as I got up, wringing my clothes and running my hand through my hair to get it out of my face._

_I turned back around and I saw the two people standing now on the other side where I had been standing._

" _Keep walking Bellethiel." The man said with a sad smile as he pointed forward. "Just keep walking that way."_

" _You still have not answered my question Voronwë!" I growled out in irritation._

" _I think you already got your answers Bellethiel." Voronwë smiled._

' _Voronwë…where did that name come from? Why did it sound familiar?' I thought when suddenly a blinding pain shot through me and I grabbed my head as it intensified._

_Memories started to flood back to me that caused the pain to grow. Memories of my past, Bag End, the Shire, Trolls, Imladris, Goblin Town, Beorn's house, Greenwood, Esgaroth, Erebor, the Dragon…a battle and at that thought my abdomen started to hurt. Flashes of people's smiling faces, I remember them now. Bilbo, Gandalf, the Company, my boys Beriohtarion and Balamaethor, Thenidiel, Fili and Kili…Thorin! My family…_

" _Voronwë…Anameleth…" I whispered as soon as the pain subsided. I looked back across the river to the two smiling back at me._

" _It's good to see you again muinthel (sister)." Voronwë said with a sad smile._

" _Thank you for taking care of my boys." Anameleth said._

_I was about to walk back across the river, back to where they were standing, but my brother yelled back to me._

" _Don't you dare walk back here!" Voronwë growled out. "You belong there, and we belong here."_

" _But…" I called back as Voronwë held his hand up to silence me._

" _Keep walking Bellethiel…Thorin is waiting for you and you've kept them waiting long enough." Voronwë said smiling a cheeky smile._

" _Just keep walking straight." Anameleth said. "Don't stop, just keep walking."_

" _Or run." Voronwë shrugged. "That will work too."_

" _Don't stop moving." Anameleth said. "Off you go."_

_I nodded my head and turned to face the blackness, ready to take off into the unknown, before I stopped and turned back around to my brother and sister._

" _I miss you Anameleth…Voronwë…" I said with a sad smile. "Thank you."_

" _We miss you too, muinthel (sister)." Anameleth said as Voronwë nodded his head._

" _Take better care of yourself, and take care of our family." Voronwë said._

_I nodded and with that I took off into the darkness, never looking back._

" _We're so proud of you."_

_That was the last I heard before I ran further into the dark with one thought in mind…to get back to my family._

_I don't know how long I was running for, but suddenly there was a slit of light that appeared in front of me…a small slit and I kept on running toward it for this light felt different compared to the light I saw a moment ago. When I got closer the light became too bright to a point where I had to stop and cover my eyes…it was as bright as the sun and the warmth of the light engulfed me._

Bright…it was too bright…where was I?

I blinked a couple of times to adjust to the blinding light around me and I looked around where I was and saw that I was in a room. It looked a little ruined but still kept together…whatever I was lying on was very soft and I could feel a blanket was draped over me. I attempted to get up, but a sharp pain on my side prevented me from moving any further and I groaned as I carefully lay back down.

'Where am I…' I thought as I took a deep breath as the pain in my side stopped throbbing…and then I suddenly opened my eyes. "Thorin."

* * *

'Three weeks…will she ever wake up…' I thought sadly as I made my way to one of the larger rooms that was by the throne room.

After Bilbo had left I've avoided talking to any of my grandfather's councilors. I let Balin handle the older dwarves and trying to talk some sense into them, because I think if I were to talk to them and they bring up anything pertaining to the elves in the mountain…I probably will say something that I wouldn't be able to take back (though I probably wouldn't regret it).

Three weeks felt like three years, I felt like I've gotten older in these three weeks with all this worry and stress. And thankfully this week was the busiest I've been…every night I would go and stay by my elf's side and during the day I kept my mind busy with cleaning out all the debris that was left behind in the kingdom along with making sure that the elves and dwarves were keeping out of each others way.

Today though I was going to meet up with Thranduil, Bard, and Dáin to discuss any problems that have arisen and what we could do to help.

"Thorin." Bard greeted the moment I rounded the corner to where the meeting was being held.

Bard was standing the closest to the door while my cousin was standing tense and glaring at Thranduil while Thranduil was just standing with his arms crossed across his chest.

"Sorry for being late…" I spoke as I nodded to all three of the Lords in front of me.

"It's no problem." Bard said with a nod.

I opened the door and the four of us entered before I closed the door shut, locking it so there would be no disturbance.

There was a table in the middle of the room with four chairs seated around it and I went to sit at the head of the table.

"Shall we get down to business?" I questioned as soon as the three took their seats. "How's Dale doing?"

"Restoring Dale is going as scheduled." Bard informed. "There have been a few casualties, but nothing too severe. The resources are still holding us through, we haven't run out yet, but when we start running thin on the resources I will let you know. Other than that, there's nothing more to say other…though there's one thing that has come up. The Master has wanted to talk to you, he was going to come today, but I told him that I would talk to you first. He's been pushing to have an audience with you…and has become a pain in my side, him and Alfrid."

"I'll think about it, I don't think I want to deal with them at this moment." I said as I sighed in irritation just thinking that I will sooner or later think about talking to that blasted man.

"My patrol groups have been searching through the forest day and night; every so often we would come across lost dwarves in my realm and were escorted to my kingdom. There is a large group resting in my kingdom and tomorrow you can expect more of your people to return home." Thranduil stated.

"It's still very surprising you're helping us out." Dáin mumbled causing Thranduil to glare slightly toward my cousin.

"Hmph." Thranduil then turned his attention back to me, ignoring what my cousin had said.

"Dáin." I said, looking to my cousin who was seated across from me. "Any bad blood we have toward each other should now be in the past. If I am able to look past it then I hope you will too."

"I'm only trying to look past it due to the lass." Dáin stated as he suddenly realized something. "How is she doing by way? Has she woken up yet?"

A tense silence settled between the four of us as I looked down at the table.

"Her niece said that she is recovering well, they're still attending to her wounds…but whether she wakes is up to her." I said sadly.

"Have…" Thranduil said as he looked toward me. "have you thought about what would happen if she would to not wake…"

"Why would you ask that you pesky sprite?" Dáin growled out. "Do you not believe that the lass could survive?"

"I don't mean to think so negative about the situation." Thranduil defended. "I truly hope that she pulls through, but sometimes as much as you don't want to, you always have to plan for the inevitable…"

"She'll be buried in the halls of this kingdom…and her name spoken in the highest respect...she will pass on into legends..." I stated, sighing sadly. "but I believe that she'll pull through. I believe in her."

"Let's talk about other pressing matters." Bard stated, hoping to change the topic…and I was happy to talk about other things then the thought of having to bury the love of my life.

* * *

"You know," I stated walking beside my brother. "the moment she wakes up she **will** go through with that threat."

"Ah, I think it would brighten her day the moment she wakes up." Kili stated with a smile, carrying a bowl of salad in his hand.

"If it stays in there for a long time it'll start to go brown." I pointed out.

"I know. I'll replace it every day so when she wakes up it'll be a fresh bowl of greens." Kili said laughing a bit. "It's not like anyone in this kingdom is going to eat any of it, not even the elves bother eating it."

We had arrived at the room Bellethiel was resting in.

"Huh…looks like someone forgot to close the door completely." Kili stated as he pushed the door further open.

"Prepare for leaves in your hair the moment she wakes up." I said with a smile, shaking my head.

Kili turned to look into the room and I suddenly saw him drop the bowl to the ground, not moving further into the room.

"Ki?" I questioned walking up to him. "What's wrong?"

Kili quickly turned around and grabbed a hold of my shoulders, a look of panic in his eyes.

"The beds empty!" Kili yelled out.

"What do you mean the beds empty?" I questioned looking to my brother.

"Bellethiel's not in the bed!" Kili emphasized and I quickly pushed past my brother to see that the bed was indeed empty. The sheets were pulled back and there was no sign of Belle.

I swiftly turned to my brother and took a deep breath.

"Search for Dwalin and Balin, or anyone from the company…have everyone searching the kingdom. I'll go get mother and search for uncle." I ordered, pushing past my brother and heading into the opposite direction of where I knew our mom was.

* * *

There was a loud commotion going on outside causing the four of us to stop talking and I growled in irritation.

"Is there a party being planned?" Thranduil questioned curiously as all of our attention was bought to the door.

"No," I stated in curiosity. "not that I know of."

Loud pounding on our doors were heard and I got up from my chair to open the door, standing on the other side was my sister and Fili, behind them I could see some people rushing about in different directions.

"What in Durin's name is going on out here!" I growled out as I looked at my sister.

"It's Belle!" Fili said in a panic.

I felt my blood run cold and I quickly grabbed my nephew.

"What about Belle? What happened to Belle?" I spoke out quickly, before fear gripped tight at me. "Is she..."

"She's missing." Dís stated, quickly smashing where my thoughts were headed.

"What do you mean she's missing?" I questioned urgently. "Did someone move her?"

"No, we don't think so." Dís stated. "Her niece went to visit her and she said she was still in her bed at that time. Fili and Kili said it looked like…"

"Like she got up and left." Fili said.

"She got up and left…" I repeated in shock, looking to Fili. "We have to find her."

"The company is running about the kingdom, the elves and some guards are looking as well." Dís informed.

I looked back to where Thranduil, Bard and Dáin were now standing from their spot.

"I'm sorry; I'm going to cut this meeting short." I stated.

"We'll look around as well." Bard offered as the three came toward the door.

I nodded my head in appreciation and all of us began to run around the kingdom searching for where Belle could have possibly gone off to. All of us splitting up, my sister and my nephew sticking close to me.

For several minutes we searched, but came up with nothing and I began to worry. Where could one injured elf possibly go off to! She's wounded and could be laying somewhere due to reopening her wounds and could be bleeding out somewhere…with that thought I ran faster to other parts of the kingdom to search for my elf.

We ended up in the throne room and I let out a loud yell in frustration, my voice echoing around the throne room.

"Where could she be!" I growled out, now desperate to find her.

"Thorin…you need to calm down." Dís urged, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I just…" I mumbled sadly, placing a hand over my eyes. "she could've opened her wounds attempting to get up and…"

I sighed in irritation as I tried to calm myself and thought carefully where else we could check that we didn't check already.

"My King!" A voice called out, and I turned to see a guard running up to me.

"Have you found her?" I questioned with urgency as he came to a skidding halt in front of me.

"Someone has seen an elf standing outside across the makeshift bridge at the entrance of the kingdom!" The guard informed, breathing in and out deeply attempting to regain his breath.

I nodded my head to the guard and looked to my sister and Fili.

"Let's go."

The three of us ran toward the entrance of the kingdom and once we got there I could see the company, Thenidiel, Thranduil, Bard, and Dáin already standing there.

"Cousin!" My cousin whispered, nodding his head in the direction through the archway.

I pushed my way through the company and across the bridge I saw a figure standing there with their back toward us, leaning on one of the pillars that were still standing across the bridge.

'Why would she make her way out here…' I thought as I hesitantly stepped forward toward the edge of the bridge. "Bellethiel…"

The moment I called out to the person standing across the bridge, they stiffened and turned toward me. Ice blue eyes stared back at me, wide eyed and in shock. Her black hair flowing out behind her and her hand was clutching her abdomen area.

"Thorin…"

Her voice…oh how I missed her voice…it sounded a bit scratchy though I assume it was due to not using it for a while.

"Thorin." She voiced again, now taking slow and steady steps toward me, but the moment she pushed herself off the pillar I saw that she began to lose her footing.

I ran toward her, closing the gap between us and I carefully caught her, her legs collapsed under her and the only thing holding her up was me. Her knees were on the ground and her face was buried in the crook of my neck. Her hands were laying on my shoulders tightly grasping the fabric of my clothes. She was responsive; she was holding onto me…she came back to me.

I wrapped my arms around her, one arm wrapped around her shoulders and the other was placed on the back of her head, tangling into her hair, as I held her close to me.

"Bellethiel…you're okay…" I mumbled my voice cracking as I buried my face close to hers. "you came back to me…"


	5. Girls Do Talk

"What happened to them…?" I questioned sadly, looking back and forth between my nephews.

I was standing right between the two beds, my shoulders were sagging and I evaluated how badly my nephews looked. Balamaethor had layers of bandages wrapped around his head while Beriohtarion had bandages all over his body.

"They…" Thenidiel mumbled. "they were found by the Great Eagles. According to one of the Eagles, Balamaethor was unconscious and Beriohtarion was sitting close to his brother, he wouldn't let any of the Eagles get close until he fainted as well."

"When they went over the side of the cliff, Balamaethor knocked his head hard when they hit the ground below. Beriohtarion protected his brother from Bolg…if it wasn't for Legolas…well…" Tirananniel mumbled from behind me. "They probably would've been in a much worse condition then you see now."

"This is my fault…Tirananniel…" I stated as I knelt to the ground and placed my hands on either side of the beds that held my nephews.

"Now, don't go saying that." Tirananniel said trying to console me.

"I was willing to take the consequences for saving Thorin, Fili, and Kili. I would have gladly greeted death…" I mumbled as I felt tears leaking from the corner of my eye. "The Valar…can be so cruel…"

"If you had known your nephews would be in this situation when you were set on saving Thorin and his nephews…would you have chosen differently? Would you have chosen a different path to take and let Thorin die." Tirananniel asked.

"Tirananniel!" Thenidiel called out as I tensed up and stood back up, rounding on Tirananniel.

"You cannot possibly ask me that!" I growled out, glaring at the elf who remained stoic. "It...it is something I would not be able to choose between…"

"It was a simple question Bellethiel." Tirananniel stated.

I glared and took a threatening step toward the elf in front of me only to be stopped by Thenidiel who ran to my side and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"You need to take it easy Nana; you could reopen your wound." Thenidiel cautioned.

I looked to my niece and sighed before glancing between the two elves in this room.

"Tell me what I have missed while I was unconscious." I stated. "Inform me of everything that has been happening so far."

"I took over giving orders out to the elves that stayed in the kingdom, with counseling from Mellimeldisiel and Tirananniel of course. Thranduil returned to Mirkwood after he received his jewels from Thorin. Bard is restoring Dale with the help from our kin, Dáin and Thranduil providing provisions to help. Dwarves are slowly beginning to trickle into the mountain in large masses. Thorin has been meeting with Thranduil, Bard, and Dáin to make sure their alliances are mended." Thenidiel informed.

"Has there been any complication in the last three weeks?" I questioned as I slowly eased myself into a chair that was placed between the two beds.

"One." Tirananniel stated. "And it's the biggest problem we'll be facing."

"What is it?" I questioned curiously.

"The dwarves returning to the mountain have a problem with our presence in Erebor." Tirananniel stated. "I've heard that they want us out. Thorin and his company, and those that know of our deeds are the only ones fighting to keep us here."

"I've ordered any elves to stay out of the way of the dwarves in mountain and just go about their business." Thenidiel stated.

I sighed as I pinched the bridge of my nose, thinking of the problems we must be causing Thorin due to us just being here.

"Can you see if they will wake up…?" I questioned looking expectantly to Tirananniel, but she only shook her head.

"I couldn't even see when you would wake up…or even if you would wake up…" Tirananniel said sadly.

I nodded in understanding as I slumped lower into my chair and glanced between my two nephews, reaching out and brushing stray strands of hair out of Balamaethor's face.

"I am going for a walk…" I said sadly, slowly getting to my feet. I went over to Beriohtarion, placing a kiss to his forehead before doing the same to Balamaethor.

"Nana, you should rest." Thenidiel advised as she looked at me with concern.

I looked back to my niece and went over to her, pulling her close to me.

"I will be fine…" I mumbled. "If I feel unwell I will return to my room…thank you for taking over in my absence. I am so proud of you."

"Nana…" Thenidiel mumbled looking up at me.

I smiled to the two before leaving the room, where I was going though I didn't know for sure.

'Thorin…' I thought suddenly as I smiled just a bit remembering what happened just this morning.

* * *

_How I ended up outside the kingdom…I can't seem to recall. I remember opening my eyes and only one word escaped my lips, one word that crossed my mind._

' _Thorin.'_

_After, everything was just a blur. There was no pain…nothing. I felt like I needed to look around to make sure that Thorin was okay. My memory was sort of fuzzy…and I panicked for some odd reason and thought that Thorin was possibly in trouble. That was possibly the reason why I ended up outside of the kingdom staring out into the open space where the war had taken place._

_I remember feeling frantic…and when I looked toward Raven Hill I felt my chest constrict. I had no memory of what happened after Raven Hill, was I too late to save him?_

_I suddenly leaned against the pillar that was beside me when I felt the dread of having failed…and the thought that I had lost my King. I winced and bought my hand up to cradle my abdomen area, feeling a sudden jolt of pain. How long had I been asleep? What had I missed?_

" _Bellethiel…"_

_I stiffened where I stood, that voice…that deep, low rumbling voice that shook me to the very core. Hearing that voice was like having a huge weight lifted off my shoulders and made my heart thump wildly in my chest. It was a voice I had gotten so used to over the past two years…that voice that I've come to care so much about…a voice I thought I would never hear again._

_I slowly turned around toward where the voice was and at the entrance of the Kingdom staring my way I saw a lot of people standing around. The company, my niece, Thranduil, Bard, Dáin, and standing at the very front slowly inching his way toward me was Thorin. His eyes were wide in shock and I'm sure my expression mirrored his own._

" _Thorin…" I said barely above a whisper, my voice a little scratchy as I pushed myself off the pillar and attempted to make my way toward him. "Thorin."_

_I moved away from the pillar, but the moment I was a decent distance away from what I was leaning on I felt my legs give out from under me._

_I was falling, my body was exhausted and I knew I was going to hit the ground. But I didn't feel the hard floor; I didn't collide with the dirt floor. I did collide with something solid though, under my hand I felt soft fabric and fur. I smelt an earthy tobacco scent and I nuzzled closer to the person that caught me._

_I felt arms wrapping around me, one placed around my shoulder and the other was holding the back of my head…securing me to him. His fingers were tangled in my hair and I began to cry as my body began to shake and I tightened my grip on Thorin._

" _Bellethiel…you're okay…" Thorin mumbled his voice cracking as I felt him bury his face close to my own. "you came back to me…"_

_I pulled away as much as I could and looked right into Thorin's eyes. There were bags under his eyes and stress lines as well…he looked exhausted. Was that because of me?_

_I leaned forward and placed my lips upon his own; he didn't respond for a second...his body was tense before he finally responded back. His lips and my own moved together in sync, fitting together and I felt whole once more._

_Thorin was the first to break our kiss and he held his forehead against my own, our breathing mingling together and I saw him smile in relief._

" _What in Mahal's name are you doing out here Bellethiel…you gave us all a scare…" Thorin breathed out quietly. "Come. Let's get you back into the mountain..."_

_I nodded my head and Thorin carefully assisted me back to my feet, letting me lean on him for support as he wrapped his arm around my waist to steady me and the two of us made our way back to the entrance of the kingdom._

_When we got close enough the company smiled and began to close in around us, greeting me and smiling happily up at me, some with tears in their eyes.  
_

" _Nana…" Thenidiel said as I looked to my niece who had tears in her eyes._

" _Thenidiel." I breathed out as I carefully pushed off from Thorin and slowly made my way to my niece._

_My niece closed the gap between us and encircled her arms around me as she began to cry and I held her close before looking around the group for two faces I didn't see._

" _Where are my nephews?"_

* * *

I stopped moving and looked around, snapping out of my thoughts.

"Where am I…?" I questioned out loud. 'This isn't a part of the kingdom I've been to before…"

"Bellethiel…right?" A female voice called from behind me.

I turned around to where the voice came from and saw a woman who looked vaguely familiar. She was wearing an off the shoulder dress that was lined with fur, her hair was black and pulled back with braids on either side of her face. There was light sideburns on either side of her face that went down and lined her jaw and when I saw her eyes I knew who this person was.

"My name is Dís, I'm…"

"Thorin's sister." I said, bowing to her. "I thought you looked familiar."

"Don't bow to me Bellethiel." Dís said cheerfully. "After all you've done for my family and my kin…you shouldn't be bowing to anyone."

"A lowly elf should always bow to royalty." I stated as I stood straight up and smiled down at the female dwarf. "It is an honor to meet you. Fili and Kili have told me much about you as did Thorin."

"The same could be said to you as well Bellethiel." Dís said with a smile. "Would you happen to be lost?"

"I have never been to this part of the kingdom." I mumbled honestly, looking away embarrassingly.

"You shouldn't be walking around with your injury." Dís advised. "You could've made your condition much worse."

"I just needed to take a walk and think." I sighed sadly.

"Let's take a walk then shall we?" Dís offered. "I know this kingdom like the back of my hand."

I nodded my head as I began to follow Dís, walking beside her in silence.

"I wanted to thank you personally." Dís finally said as we began walking through the halls, passing by dwarves and elves going about their business and moving rubble out of the kingdom. "Fili and Kili told me what you did for them…what you did for Thorin."

"Lady Dís, there is no need to thank me." I mumbled, glancing to my side to Dís.

"There is much to thank you for." Dís said with a shake of her head. "They're the only family I have left in this world. My husband, my father, grandfather, and my youngest brother are dead…there's no one else I would've had. If my sons and my brother were to perish in the war then…"

I could hear her voice cracking as she continued to talk and I reached out to place a hand on her shoulder.

"Lady Dís…please do not be upset." I comforted. "They are alive and well…they will not be leaving you any time soon."

"You almost gave your life for them…thank you." Dís said smiling up at me. "I am eternally grateful to you and your family. Please, no formalities. Dís is just fine."

I nodded my head and smiled down at Dís as we continued to walk, but she had walked in a different direction and I followed her as she led me to a balcony area that overlooked the other side of the kingdom.

"I came here often with my brothers; we would come here when we just wanted an escape from our everyday lives." Dís said as the two of us just stood side by side. "You know, I've never seen my brother so happy in all my life."

"What do you mean?" I questioned curiously.

"Even when my father and grandfather were alive he was happy sure, but I've never seen him as happy as when he was with you." Dís commented. "Who would've thought that my brother would find love on his journey to reclaim our homeland?"

"To be honest with you, I did not think anything would happen through this journey. He did not particularly like my company when I entered the doors of Bag End back in the Shire." I said with a smile.

"Elves were never in good standings with us ever since the dragon attacked the mountain." Dís commented. "I was even surprised when Fili said my brother fell in love with an elf."

"I was a little surprised he would return my feelings. With him being a King I am sure there were many other suitable suitors he could choose from." I said. "But…I am happy he did."

"Not sure if the rest of the kingdom would agree to such a reunion, but you have the support from those that matter." Dís commented as I saw her turn to look up at me. "You know, my brothers were always the ones to get in trouble with father."

"Really?" I questioned with a slight smirk. "I always assumed he was the serious one out of you three."

"Oh Mahal no. When we were little kids Frerin would always lure Thorin into all the mischief they got into. Even when Thorin would say no, Frerin would always say something that would peak Thorin's curiosity, coaxing Thorin to join in the trouble he was going to cause." Dís laughed.

"I am curious to know what Thorin was like when he was little." I commented fondly with a smile. "I will say that I was never this way when I was little."

"And they said you wouldn't be the gossiping type." Dís said with a chuckle.

"Do they not know all girls talk? Eru knows me and my sister would speak about anything and everything she would go through in her everyday life, not to mention the rumors that would circle around Thranduil's kingdom." I stated. "Though…some stories I wish she would never have told me…"

I thought back to the many fond memories I had with my siblings and thought I would share it with Dís.

"My sister and my brother were always the one that got me in trouble, but…it was all fun in the end." I mumbled fondly as I suddenly laughed. "There was a time when my brother got in trouble for flirting with an elven woman. Though, unbeknownst to him the woman already had a suitor for a man came up to me and began yelling at me for flirting with his woman. Did not even know that my brother came from a family of triplets, boy was it a surprise for him when my sister came looking for me. He was deeply embarrassed and apologized…though my brother got in trouble from me when I found him." I shook my head. "He only laughed at me for being mistaken as a guy."

Dís laughed for a bit and I continued to tell some of the funny yet embarrassing stories that my siblings had gotten me involved in, the two of us going back and forth, reminiscing about our own sibling moments.

"Frerin wanted to play hide and seek with Thorin, but Thorin didn't want to play with Frerin that day so Frerin kept on bugging Thorin for a very long time until finally Thorin agreed to play." Dís said. "Frerin went to hide while Thorin counted and after a couple of hours Frerin came up to me fuming mad. I had asked him what was wrong and he angrily said that he was playing hide and seek with Thorin. He went to hide and for hours he waited until he got out of his hiding place and went looking for Thorin only to find him in the same spot that he had been before Frerin had asked him to play. When he asked Thorin why he didn't look for him, Thorin simply replied that he didn't want to play and just agreed with Frerin to get him to stop bothering him."

I couldn't help but laugh and feel bad for their little brother since he was hiding for hours.

"My siblings never did that with me." I said with a shake of my head. "Though I do remember threatening to chop off my brothers hair when he was about to pour freezing cold water over my head while I was studying."

"I can tell you so many stories about Thorin." Dís said with a mischievous grin. "Would you like to hear an embarrassing one?"

* * *

"The counsel is getting restless." Balin informed me as we were walking back from speaking to Bard. "They are pushing to speak with you Thorin."

"There's no avoiding it I suppose…" I sighed as I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Not to worry." Dwalin said from the other side of me. "If they intend to force the elves out of the kingdom then I will have some choice words for them."

"From all of us." Balin reinforced. "In my opinion they belong in this kingdom just as much as we do with all that they've done."

I simply nodded my head as I dreaded the thought of going to speak to my grandfather's counselors…but I knew that I had to at some point and I could not push it aside any longer.

Laughter reached our ears and it was coming from the balcony area just in front of us.

"What's going on there?" Dwalin questioned, and as we got closer the laughter got louder.

When we reached the balcony I saw my sister and Bellethiel were the ones laughing loudly.

"Oh dear…" I mumbled as I watched the two stop and glance our way now noticing us and I dreaded the answer to this question. "What have you told her Dís…"

"Nothing…nothing." Dís said with a smile.

"Hello Thorin." Bellethiel greeted sending a smile my way.

It was nice seeing her smile once more and I couldn't help but blush slightly.

"Thorin?" Bellethiel questioned bringing my attention back to her. "Is everything alright?"

I nodded my head before clearing my throat.

"Come, let's get you back to you room so you can rest up." I said as I reached out to my elf.

Bellethiel nodded as she looked to my sister and bid her farewell before coming over and placing her hand in mine.

I told Balin that I would talk to the counsel tomorrow before bidding him, Dwalin and my sister goodbye and escorted Bellethiel back to her room.

"I know I've said this before…but I'm happy that you came back to me Bellethiel." I said as I gave her hand a tight squeeze. "Everyone was worried…I was worried…"

"I am sorry I worried you Thorin." Bellethiel said as she placed her other hand over mine.

We had reached her room and the two of us entered, I walked her to her bed and she gently got in and I sat down on the chair, scooting it close to her side.

The two of us sat in silence and I must have been staring for quite some time because Bellethiel reached out and placed her hand on mine.

"What are you staring at my love…" Bellethiel questioned with a smile, clearly already knowing the reason as to why I was staring.

I simple shook my head and leaned forward, kissing her forehead, both sides of her cheeks, the tip of her nose before placing a kiss to her lips. After breaking apart, I placed my forehead against hers and held myself there for several seconds.

"You're such a foolish elf…" I mumbled with my eyes closed. "you risked your life for my own…you should've went straight to a healer the moment we reached Dale…even before then you should've called for a healer."

"I did not mean to worry you Thorin…and I needed to make sure things were going to be alright between you and the others…" Bellethiel mumbled sadly. "I needed to know that everything was going to be alright…"

"You could've died Bellethiel…I could've lost you." I mumbled as I moved a bit away from her. "Don't you ever do a stunt like that again."

"If it means protecting you Thorin…then I cannot promise that I will not do it again." Bellethiel replied honestly.

I sighed in frustration as I leaned back into my chair.

"Might I ask you something Thorin?" Bellethiel asked.

I looked back to Bellethiel and I saw that she was smiling at me and I just nodded my head.

"Did you really wear a dress?" Bellethiel questioned, and I could tell she was attempting to hold in her laughter.

All I could do was stare at her in confusion before putting two and two together.

'Dís…' I thought in irritation before standing straight up and headed straight for the door. "I'll be right back."

"Thorin?" Bellethiel questioned as I heard creaking from the bed.

"Stay in bed and don't get out." I ordered, looking back to my elf and smiled. "I'll be right back I promise."

I exited the room and shut the door tightly behind me. When I was sure that the door was closed, I ran to where I knew my sister would be.

" **Dís**!"


	6. The One Thing I Will Not Tolerate

"Have you heard?" A female's voice whispered quietly.

"Heard what?" Another voice replied.

"The King has fallen in love with an elf!" The other voice called out, causing the other female to let out a gasp in shock.

"You're kidding!" The other female called out. "With an elf?"

"An elf." The first female voice sneered in disgust. "What's so beautiful about a hairless elf?"

"I could've cared less if it was another dwarf maiden…but an elf?" The second voice said, mirroring the first person's disgust.

"An elf from Mirkwood nonetheless." The first female said in a whisper.

"How disturbing…falling for the very people who just stood and watched while our home was burned." An elderly female dwarf mumbled. "I have lost hope in these younger lads."

"Even the young Prince is said to be smitten with an elf!" A different female said.

"You're joking." The first female said in shock. "I never heard about that!"

"You don't think the elder dwarf Prince has an elf maiden as well do you?" The second questioned.

"There's no talk about it, but would that really be such a surprise?" A third woman said. "I mean, the King is in love with an elf from Mirkwood, the young Prince is in love with an elf from Mirkwood. It would be very disappointing if the elder Prince is in love with a Mirkwood elf as well."

"I wish these elves would just leave the kingdom…I can't stand them being here." The second female mumbled to herself. "It's our home. Yes, they fought in the Battle of the Five Armies, but now…they have no reason to be here anymore."

"So what will happen to the King?" Somewhere a bit further from the gossiping females two males were talking to themselves having also heard the rumors and talk of the kingdom. "If he plans on courting the elf, will they even let him take the throne?"

"Who knows…but there's one thing we can count on." A male stated. "If not the King or the Princes…there's always Lord Dáin."

"I suppose you're right…" The first male stated.

"Well I for one don't mind elves being in this kingdom." An elder male dwarf who was walking through the halls in a different part of the kingdom spoke to what one would assume was his wife. "I mean if the King is happy, it shouldn't be any of our business."

"I think the elf is absolutely lovely." The elderly female dwarf said with a smile. "There's a reason that these elves are here…so who am I to question our King."

It wasn't spoken in public, but behind closed doors and in secrecy it was whispered. One would say that it was the talk of the whole kingdom in secrecy. None would dare speak about it in the presence of the King, the company, the elves, or anyone that was known to defend the elves of Mirkwood in fear of it being reported back to the King.

Though, even with the dwarves whispering in secrecy the elves still heard the rumors, the gossip and the whisper in the halls of Erebor. Many of the young elves were furious and wanted to speak up to defend themselves and those that defended them, but they were ordered to avoid confrontation.

The younger elves were enraged at the whispers that went through the halls of the kingdom, but to say that it wasn't affecting the older elves would be telling a lie. To let it get to the older elves means that the words the dwarves spoke were unpleasant. The young ones were immature in a sense that they would possibly lash out and start unnecessary confrontations if it wasn't for direct orders from Bellethiel. But the older elves, they were a different story…they were silent and when they were silent when angered…it always meant bad news. They would not lash out, they would not speak up, or cause unnecessary arguments…you didn't know what they would do and that was frightening enough.

Tauriel was being sheltered from all the rumors and harsh glares the dwarves of Erebor were giving. The dwarves only knew of an elf that Kili had an interest in, but they did not have a name or a face to that name. And it was all thanks to Bellethiel, she made sure that no one knew of Tauriel and made sure Kili understood the situation, so they made sure to keep their relationship a secret from the eyes of the kingdom.

Bellethiel though was getting most of the fire. With her being the jewel in the Kings eye there was many who disapproved of such a reunion just as Dís had said. Out of all the elves that were in the kingdom she looked to be the one to be handling the situation well. She turned her ears away from all the talk, kept her head held high to show that they weren't bothering her and continued on with her business in helping restore Erebor.

With Bellethiel so kept together, she was setting an example for her fellow comrades…to just take it no matter what because fighting back and causing unnecessary fights and arguments is not worth it. She stayed strong and ignored all the talk and gossip. But, there's only so much one person can take no matter how old they are.

And…this went on for a couple of months.

Balamaethor and Beriohtarion's condition were still a mystery to all the healers that were assigned to them. They reported to Bellethiel that their wounds were healing up just fine, but due to Balamaethor's head injury there was a possibility that when he hit his head he could be suffering from something they couldn't fix with simple herbs. And as for Beriohtarion…they were puzzled as to why he wasn't waking up when all his wounds healed up perfectly. Bellethiel though…believed that it had something to do with his twin brother still unable to wake up…she couldn't explain it.

The moment Bellethiel woke up she was ordered to stay in bed by Thorin, but the elf was stubborn. She would fight and struggle all the way until Thorin agreed that she could move about as long as she took it easy, and that's exactly what she did.

Everyday Bellethiel would take things slow, going out for walks and speaking to the elves, working her way up to finally getting out of bed for long periods of time. She relieved her niece of leadership duties and took over giving out orders while being the one elves went to for new orders and reporting in on new information.

Dale became a suitable living condition for the survivors of Esgaroth and they instantly moved out of the kingdom. It was one thing Thorin did not have to worry about any longer; the only thing he had to worry about was providing provisions and helping hands for Bard to fully restore Dale. Esgaroth would come later after Dale had been restored.

The Company, Thorin, the elves and Bellethiel were always busy whether it is business with Bard, with Thranduil, with Dáin, restoration details for Erebor or Dale, or keeping the peace between the elves of Mirkwood and the dwarves of Erebor in the kingdom.

It didn't help that Bellethiel was also worried deeply about her nephews. They were having trouble giving them the food and water that they needed, their injuries and wounds were completely healed…they just weren't waking up. They were beginning to lose hope that they would ever wake up, and that scared Bellethiel the most. But she always kept hoping and praying, to Eru and the Valar that they would forgive her and give her back her nephews…her sons.

The thought that her nephews weren't waking stressed her out the most. Out in the open she didn't show it, but behind closed doors…in her personal time she wasn't eating very much, only the bare minimum to keep her going and she didn't sleep much. This greatly concerned Thorin, her friends and her niece. They spoke to her about it, all voiced their concerns, but it still didn't lessen her stress, and all they could do was watch out for her even if she didn't ask for anyone to. Thorin was always there for her, looking out for her as she had watched out for him.

* * *

I sighed, I wasn't feeling too well. Maybe today I should've at least attempted to get some rest instead of going out for a walk and attending to some business. The light from the sun shining in through the kingdom burned my eyes so I took to sticking to the shadows on this particular day. Not to mention I didn't want to deal with any of the staring eyes and the whispers behind my back…it would seem that dwarves tend to forget that no matter how far they think they are or how quiet they think they're being elves have a very good sense of hearing.

I was headed to the area that Dís had taken me when I had gotten lost, it's a place I've always went to when I wanted to be alone.

'I'm only adding on to the list of Thorin's problems…' I thought sighing sadly. 'I should try and not worry anyone else…'

I arrived close to the balcony and I was going to come out of the shadows until I heard more whispers headed my way.

"What is he thinking…?" I heard a voice call out. "I think something is wrong with the King…"

Instantly, I moved to hide back in the shadows, holding fast against the stone walls and listened in carefully.

"To think that an elf would capture the eyes of our King…" I heard another female voice.

"Do you think he's bewitched?" The first voice whispered out. "Maybe she's an elf witch. One glance and he fell under her spell."

"You don't think the whole company is under her spell do you?" The second female voice questioned. "Maybe they all are under her spell…"

"Is there no way to break her hold on them?" The first voice questioned. "Maybe once we do the King will come to his senses and send them away."

"Then what about the young Prince?" The second voice questioned. "Surely, the elf he's smitten with isn't a witch as well."

"Maybe the one who bewitched the King is the same elf that the young Prince is in love with." The first voice said. "I mean we've never seen the elf that has caught the eyes of the Prince, they could be one and the same."

"The nerve of the elf trying to inch her way into the royal family." The second voice said in disgust. "First the King and then the Prince? If she had any sense she would just take the rest of the elves in our kingdom and simply just leave."

'Breathe…' I thought as I closed my eyes and took a long, deep breathe. 'It won't get to me…their words mean nothing…'

I was about to turn and leave the scene, not wanting to listen in any more until another voice added in that caused me to stop and turn back.

"Such disrespect will not be tolerated, I'm sure you two know this." A male's voice added in, and I knew that voice after travelling with them for the past two years.

I peeked around the corner and saw Dwalin with his arms crossed across his chest, glaring at the two dwarf woman in front of him with Dís standing at his side with a look of disgust on her face.

"Master Dwalin! Lady Dís!" The two female dwarfs gasped in shock as they bowed to the two in front of them, looking embarrassed at being caught.

"Bellethiel is a friend of ours, a friend to many of us…and to call her a witch after all she did for us will not be permitted." Dwalin growled out.

"If it wasn't for Bellethiel and her kin, many would probably be dead! We wouldn't have our kingdom!" Dís scolded. "You can guarantee that my brother will hear about this!"

"But why would the King choose an elf? After the betrayal of Lord Thranduil 60 years ago, it seems disrespectful to us that he would fall for the captain of the very Lord that betrayed us." The first female voice argued.

"She could even be bewitching the Prince!" The second argued. "I mean, we've never seen the other elf captain…who's to say that this elf that our King is smitten with is not the same as the elf that the Prince is smitten with?"

"Are you accusing Bellethiel for being with my brother and my son?" Dís questioned, her voice rising in volume.

"Not accusing." The first voice called out. "We just cannot fathom that our King would fall for an elf…"

"I'm here to tell you, that while traveling with the lass, I can say that she is no witch. The lass can't even use simple healing herbs." Dwalin said with a slight chuckle and I couldn't help but let out a huff in amusement.

"Everyone thinks we can't hear the talk, but we do…we advise you to tell everyone that this needs to stop." Dís said with a glare. "Our elf friends are trying their hardest to not to let it get to them, but we are a different story. After everything Belle has done for our people, did for my family, I will not tolerate such talk about our friends!"

"You may not know it yet, but the lass has done amazing things for all of us." Dwalin questioned. "Besides, why would it matter if our King is smitten with an elf? It shouldn't matter and it's none of your business who our King chooses, unless you think there are other lasses better suited for our King."

"If our King decides to take an elf as his Queen…" The first female voice said, with a bit of strain in her voice. "then some of us must question his decisions as a King. What good will marrying an elf do for our people? If it was to strengthen the alliance between Mirkwood and Erebor, then it would be with someone of royal blood."

* * *

These…these dwarves have…have some nerve!

"You question my brother?" I growled out glaring at the two who wouldn't even try and see reason behind the reason that our elvish friends were here.

"Yes, we do." The second female stated firmly. "And we're not the only ones."

"And I think…that is enough." A female voice spoke up. "I have heard enough and this is where I draw the line."

I was a bit surprised at the new voice and Dwalin and I turned to see Belle walking our way. She held no emotion on her face; her eyes were so different from when I had spoken to her on the balcony. It held no mirth…nothing, her gaze was hard, her head was held high and her shoulders squared. Her attention was solely set on the two dwarves in front of me, and though her appearance surprised me…Dwalin seemed unfazed by Belle's sudden change in attitude. I've heard of my sons mentioning how Belle usually is, but only rarely does she act this way unless it was a really serious matter.

Belle came to stand behind Dwalin and I, and I looked to see that the two female dwarves had shrunk away just a bit at the unfeeling eyes staring them down.

"How long were you listening for lass." Dwalin spoke out after a few seconds of silence, though it already seemed like he knew the answer to that.

"Long enough." Belle stated and I knew she had heard the whole conversation.

"Leave these two to us Belle." I said as I turned to look up at the elf. "They're not worth your time."

"As much as everyone wants to believe that they are being discreet and secretive, dwarves seem to forget that we elves have very good hearing." Belle stated in an even tone. "We hear everything everyone talks about in these halls even if they think they are a fair distance from us. Now, under my command, I have told everyone to simply ignore the talk around the kingdom, avoid any dwarf that looks at them in a funny way, and to simply go about their business with no problems."

Belle stepped forward, gently squeezing in between Dwalin and myself before standing right in front of the two female dwarves.

"Now, I have put up with all the talk as best as I could. All of my kin have been biting their tongue and keeping their mouth shut, but I think that I have found my breaking point." I watched as Belle leaned forward, bending at her waist, with her hands clasped behind her back as she talked down to the two dwarf woman, her figure towering over them even when she was bent over. "You may slander my name, drag it through the mud, but I will not stand idly by while people question if Thorin is a good King or not. Question his decisions and his ruling. Your King had done so much for all of you, building life for all his people in the Blue Mountains after losing Erebor to the dragon, returning to the mountain to reclaim Erebor for his people and almost losing his life. All of it just for his people to have their home back."

Belle never raised her voice, which seemed to be the worst thing. I've heard of what Belle was capable of when she was angry…when someone stepped over the line. I couldn't see what Belle was doing, but judging from the reactions of the two dwarf woman…she wasn't holding the kind expression on her face like I've always seen on my elf friend.

"Thorin is and will be a great King for years to come. I will not tolerate you two, or anyone speaking so badly of Thorin." Belle said evenly. "So, here are your two options. The first option you can take is allow Dwalin and Dís to report you two back to Thorin, and you will repeat exactly what you had said and your fate will be decided then and there. Or, you can take my option. Which is you two get off scot-free, but with the condition that you cease all this talk of questioning your King. If you hear anyone else questioning the Kings decision then you will defend him. Feel free to keep talking badly about me, but do not speak badly of your King."

"Belle, you can't let this keep going." I argued. "They have to be made an example…all this ill talk about you and your kin has to stop."

"It is a fact that dwarves and elves will always be at odds with each other, we cannot change how people think." Belle replied to me, not turning to look back at me.

"Might I remind you that you changed our minds." Dwalin mumbled from beside me.

Belle simply shook her head and returned to standing at her full height.

"The choice is yours." Belle stated. "You can leave your fate in the hands of your King, or you can take my offer which comes with a condition."

The two female dwarves looked at each other with a slight fear before the two nodded.

"We'll stop." The first female dwarf agreed.

"Good." Belle replied simply. "Thorin fought to reclaim the mountain for you and your people, the least you can do is trust that your King knows what is best for his kin. Thorin deserves the loyalty of his people. Now leave."

The two nodded before quickly scurrying away from us, not looking back once.

* * *

I didn't move even after the two dwarves left and I closed my eyes to calm myself, to regain my composure.

"Belle…" Dís called out to me sadly.

"This never happened." I stated quietly, turning around and looking sadly at Dwalin and Dís. "What happened today stays between us three."

"You cannot be serious." Dwalin growled out angrily. "Thorin has to know about this."

"Thorin has enough things to worry about as it is." I stated. "I hope that those two will keep their word, and if not then I will deal with any of the rumor that has to do with anyone questioning him as King."

"A simple slap on the hand will not cause them to stop doubting my brother." Dís argued.

"They will stop." I replied plainly. "They may still doubt Thorin, but I could see they were afraid of how he would react should they have let you and Dwalin report them to Thorin."

"And what about you?" Dwalin questioned. "They will still disrespect you and your kin."

"Let them do what they wish." I stated.

"But why…" Dís asked. "why tolerate it? How can you tolerate it?"

I turned around and smiled sadly down to Dís.

"Years and years of practice…" I stated sadly. "dwarves have been treating us badly for years after all that we have done. People all over knew of our betrayal with Lord Thranduil and called us traitors. We just try to turn our ears away and bare it."

I walked up to Dwalin and Dís, sighing for a moment before looking between Dwalin and Dís.

"Leave it be." I said. "Thorin is already stressed due to his meetings with his grandfather's counselors, and me being the way I am also added on to his stress. If he were to find out his people had no faith in him as a King as well…I fear how he would react."

Dís and Dwalin looked uncertain about what I was saying and I just smiled down at the two.

"I am not a Queen, I am not royalty…but there is a saying I had heard in the race of Men through my travels." I stated with a fond smile. "'Every man needs a woman when his life is a mess, because just like in a game of chess. The Queen protects the King.' And I guarantee that I will do everything in my power to protect my King."

This seemed to have eased away any doubt and uncertainty from the two in front of me and I'm happy I was able to squash any doubt that they had whether it be that the two dwarf woman would stop talking badly about Thorin, or if they should tell Thorin about what happened.

"I will handle it if I hear anymore. If it makes me look bad then so be it, better they talk about me and forget about Thorin then them doubting Thorin as a King." I stated.

"Captain!"

I turned toward the voice to see Bregolien running toward us. He looked flustered and out of breath and I began to panic.

"What is going on?" I questioned urgently, fear embracing me as I imagined the worse. "Is it my nephews?"

"Yes." Bregolien stated as soon as he came to a stop in front of me.

"What happened to them!" I growled out.

Bregolien then smiled at me.

"They're awake!" Bregolien said, laughing in relief. "It's a miracle; they woke up at the same time and immediately called out for you."

"They…are awake?" I questioned in shock. "Awake…my nephews…"

I didn't give Bregolien a chance to speak any more for I quickly took off in the direction of where my nephews were. My heart was thumping hard against my chest, my breathing was erratic, and all I could think about was my nephews…my family.

When I reached the door that held my nephews I didn't knock, didn't hesitate or anything, I simply barged straight in. The site that greeted me brought tears to my eyes.

There sat my niece, sitting on the chair between the two beds smiling happily while in the two beds were my nephews sitting up in their beds. My nephews were smiling, laughing, and trying to cheer up my niece who looked to be crying and laughing at the same time.

Fili and Kili were in the room as well, smiling happily at the scene and everyone stopped what they were doing when I had barged right in.

"Nana." Beriohtarion said with a smile.

"Hope you stayed out of trouble while we were sleeping." Balamaethor said cheekily.

They didn't look too well due to having been in a comatose state for the past couple of months, not to mention they were probably not getting the exercise and nutrition their bodies needed, but they were awake and smiling back at me.

I slowly made my way toward them, still in shock at seeing them awake and when I reached my niece I reached out and placed my hand on my youngest nephews cheek and then to my eldest…the two leaning further in to my touch.

"You two are awake…" I mumbled coming out of my shock.

Instantly I hooked my arms around my nephews, bringing my niece together as well and clung to them tightly…afraid that this could be a dream and at any point I could wake up to see that my nephews still unresponsive in their beds.

I felt my two nephews react, reaching out and wrapping their arms around me and I cried; my body shaking and my breathing coming out in shorts.

"Thank you…" I whispered as I tightened my hold. "thank Eru you two are alright…"

This wasn't a dream and I wasn't dreaming…this was real, they were awake and I had my nephews back.


	7. What Should We Do?

"I do hope you understand what I'm trying to say here Lady Bellethiel." A male's voice spoke out, the voice belonging to an elderly dwarf that was sitting across from me in a table in the library. "It's nothing against you and your kin; it's just what a lot of us think would be best for the kingdom."

"I understand." I replied plainly, staring right into the eyes of the dwarf in front of me.

"Then I hope you think about what you do from this point on." The elderly dwarf said, getting up from his chair and bowing his head to me. "Think wisely Lady Bellethiel, and I hope you choose what is right for our people."

The elderly dwarf got up and left, leaving me alone by myself in the library to ponder my thoughts and my next course of action.

* * *

(Several Hours Before)

"Bellethiel?"

I turned around at the sound of my name to see Thorin smiling at me while he made his way toward me.

"Hello Thorin." I greeted as I smiled happily back at him, watching as he made his way to where I was standing in the balcony area that overlooked the open field in front of us.

"What, may I ask, are you doing here?" Thorin questioned. "I would've assumed that you would be with your nephews and your niece."

"I was, but I was needed elsewhere and was pulled away for a bit." I replied, looking down to Thorin. "What are you doing here, my King? First time your grandfather's counselors left you alone for the day?"

Thorin sighed as he looked sadly out into the field in front of us.

"You could say that..." Thorin mumbled and I could only chuckle when I realized what actually happened.

"Thorin, shame on you," I scolded playfully. "Sneaking away from important meetings is not becoming of the future King of Erebor. They will become your counselors one day, and even as King you could get a severe talking to if you keep this up."

Thorin turned to glare at me, but there was no anger behind it as he simply scoffed and smirked slightly.

"I'm starting to consider finding myself new counselors." Thorin mumbled sadly after a while. "They keep insisting that once your work is done here that you and your kin must leave this mountain."

"We will only leave if you order us to leave Thorin." I assured down to my dwarf King.

"You know I will never order such a thing..." Thorin replied. "I will do everything in my power to make sure you never, and I mean never Bellethiel, leave my sight."

I smiled down to Thorin, feeling a slight flutter in my chest at the protectiveness he was showing toward me. I leaned down and placed a feathered kiss to his forehead, causing him to snap out of his thoughts. The lines of stress on his forehead disappearing and his face relaxing as he was caught completely off guard.

"For as long as I live Thorin," I said, not leaning back to my full height, staying just leveled with Thorin. "I do not plan to **ever** leave your sight."

Thorin turned his head toward me, inclining his head back just a bit to look back into my eyes and he smiled. He leaned close to me, not needing to push himself higher, and placed a kiss to my cheek. Our faces were close to each other and I felt him reach out and cup my cheek as well. I looked to Thorin and placed my hand over his, the two of us standing still in content.

"I am..." I mumbled as I turned toward his hand and placed a kiss to the inside of his wrist. "happy that you are safe Thorin...I do not know what I would have done if I did not make it to you in time..."

"You are a foolish elf for pulling such a stunt." Thorin mumbled as I felt him shift so he was fully facing me. "Did you not realize that if you were to die, you would've left me alone as well?"

"But, you would not have been alone." I stated plainly. "You would have your company, your sister, your nephews, and your people who all depend on you."

"You know that's not what I meant Bellethiel." Thorin grumbled causing me to look back at him.

"I am sure you would have found another who would catch your eyes and capture your heart." I brushed it off. "You would have moved on, after all...I am but a lowly elf."

"No," Thorin stated firmly. "you are anything but lowly. There may have been others who would've caught my eye, but would've never captured my heart the way a certain elf had. And none...who has sacrificed so much for my family, for me...Bellethiel."

"Thorin..." I breathed out, taken a bit back at the sudden passionate emotion that shown through in my Kings eyes.

"I would've been left alone if you died saving me." Thorin stated. "I would've never allowed myself to move on...I would always be comparing other suitors to you, because they would have such large shoes to fill." Thorin sighed before I felt his thumb rubbing my cheek. "Please Bellethiel...if it's at all possible. Don't do anything so reckless again; you are so very precious to me." Thorin looked a bit lost in thought as a sad expression took over his features. "Your life...is worth more than all the wealth in this mountain...even worth more than the Kings Jewel."

I felt touched, extremely touched at Thorin's words...and even proud to hear him say that. It not only showed me how much I meant to him...for a dwarf who once would've gone to war for the Arkenstone and say that I was more important than that jewel. And I was proud because it made me realize that he will not succumb to the dragon sickness anymore.

I closed the gap between us and caught Thorin by surprise once more as I placed my lips upon his. I couldn't help myself...my heart fluttered when I heard him say I was more important than the gold and jewels in the mountain. His lips against mine...kisses...I could get used to this feeling, it's quite addicting. His lips were soft, his scent was intoxicating, and in those times when we were alone I would run my hand through his hair.

I pulled away and smiled at how out of breath Thorin was and I laughed a bit.

'If my sister saw me now...and heard what I was thinking. She would laugh and tell me she told me so.' I thought as I stared down to Thorin. "Left you speechless?" I teased causing Thorin to cough just a bit as a cover up as I saw a red tint on his cheeks.

"No." Thorin stated, looking away a bit in embarrassment which only caused me to laugh more.

"So, aside from annoying counselors and meetings, is being King exactly how you imagined it to be?" I questioned curiously.

"Yes, and much worse." Thorin stated. "I'm...happy to have reclaimed the home for my people and I am happy to follow in the footsteps of my grandfather and sit on the throne as King...but I feel like my father should've been on there before me." Thorin looked down a bit sadly. "I don't even know if he's alive anymore..."

"Through my travels," I added in, standing to my full height and looked down to Thorin sadly. "After the battle in front of the gates of Moria, I have heard nothing of Thráin...no news or sightings, if he is alive or not...we may never know." I said reaching out and placing a hand on Thorin's shoulder, spreading my fingers out over the fur lining before giving it a gentle squeeze. "But what I do know...is that alive or not, he would be proud of his son."

Thorin looked to be contemplating my words before he reached up and placed his hand over mine and giving it a squeeze back to tell me that he would be okay.

"I'm sorry my love." Thorin said as he lifted my hand off his shoulder and turned back to me, my hand still in his. "I'm afraid I must be going...I have possibly been away for too long and I'm sure they are looking for me."

"Do not be sorry Thorin, duty calls." I assured with a smile. "I should get back to my kin; we need to talk more about restoration details with the kingdom and assisting Bard in Dale."

"I'll be joining you in the room tonight." Thorin said with a sigh. "I haven't had a decent night's rest since the battle was declared victorious."

I blushed a bit at the thought of Thorin and myself sharing a room, and I could feel my cheeks getting redder when I realized there was only one bed.

"Is that a problem?" Thorin questioned with a sly smirk on his face, clearly seeing the flush in my cheeks.

"N-no!" I squeaked...squeaked? And I placed a hand over my mouth, coughing slightly. "No."

"It's not as if we haven't shared a room before." Thorin continued to tease as I heard clear humor laced through his words, his smirk only growing as I'm sure my face became redder the more he spoke so blatantly and outright about the situation.

"It is not a problem," I mumbled, turning to look away in embarrassment. "go and return to your duties."

Thorin only chuckled as I felt my hand being lifted and his lips lightly placed on the back of my hand, giving it a quick kiss.

"I will see you soon Bellethiel." Thorin said as he turned to leave, still with that infuriating, smug smirk plastered on his face.

"I will be looking forward to seeing you, my King." I called out as I did a slight mock bow, even though I knew Thorin would not see.

'It's strange...' I thought as I smiled at the sudden memory of our first encounter in Bag End, watching as Thorin disappeared out of my sight. 'how much has changed in the past two years.'

"Excuse me...are you Lady Bellethiel?" A firm but gentleman voice called out.

I looked to see an elderly dwarf with a kind smile on his face, a carefree smile, with gray in his hair and beard outnumbering the black. His attire reminded me somewhat of Balin's, the way he dresses and the design...I can only assume the fabric of the clothing was of the highest quality any could find in Middle-Earth.

"Yes, what can I help you with?" I answered, returning the kind smile.

"My name is Gamil, I was once a councilor to Thorin's grandfather Thrór and now I am part of Thorin's council." The dwarf, Gamil, introduced. He did not move toward me, but simply nodded his head in a different direction. "I've been meaning to speak with you about some important matters at hand, if you don't mind...could we speak somewhere private."

I looked at the dwarf a bit skeptically before nodding my head.

"Of course Master Gamil," I said. "Lead the way."

Gamil took the lead and I followed close behind...it seemed like he was leading me toward one of the many library's in the kingdom if I remember path correctly as we moved and passed familiar hallways.

And my assumption was correct, Gamil led me into one of the many libraries, possibly one that barely anyone goes to and he led me to the very back area of the library. He sat down at one of the tables and gestured for me to take the seat across from him.

"Please have a seat Lady Bellethiel." Gamil said. "And we can get right down to business."

I didn't question anything for now and just obliged with his request, quietly dragging back the chair and sat across from Gamil. The two of us sat in silence, an awkward tense silence on my part as I felt my fingers twitch at my side.

Due to my status I patiently waited for Gamil to speak first due to respect on my part, with him being the Kings counselor and I a simple elf captain it would be considered very disrespectful to speak up without first being spoken to in my opinion. Though, if we were to get technical, then I'm nothing more than an ordinary elf compared to a Kings counselor.

"Sorry, no beating around the bush yes? I shall come right out and say what I need to say." Gamil said as he moved forward, placing his arms on the table, and lacing his hands together. "You, your kin, and the elves in this mountain need to leave immediately."

I was taken back a bit before I sent a dangerous glare in Gamil's direction, prepared to say a few choice words at the dwarf before he held up his hand to silence me.

"Let me speak before you decide to say anything. So please, allow me to finish before you decide to add your two cents." Gamil said, still with a smile on his face. "The King knows nothing of my meeting with you. So I would appreciate you not telling anything to the King. If you are asking why you should listen to me, then perhaps everything I say after this will answer why this conversation should stay between us, and knowing how you are...you'd agree as well."

"I will hear you out, but I do not think it is in your right to tell me, my kin and my people to leave...you hold no power to order us out." I said with a glare. "We will only leave if Thorin orders us to leave."

"And we both know the King will never order you, his precious jewel, out of his sight." Gamil added in. "That's why after our talk, you will leave the King...leave this kingdom on your own accord."

"You say that like you are so sure I will leave once this talk is over." I stated, still glaring at the dwarf.

"The King is in love with you, that much I have seen. Even the young prince is in love with an elf captain. Some have said the elf our King is in love with, and the elf the young Prince is in love with are one and the same. But after meeting you, I know that's not true, you're too loyal to be the same person the King and young Prince is smitten with." Gamil stated. "But tell me this Lady Bellethiel, what good would come from the union between a lowly elf captain and one of royal blood? What good will your union do for my people?"

I couldn't answer Gamil, because our union would indeed benefit no one, but I didn't think that would matter.

"If the King were to court you, an elf becoming Queen? Not to mention you have no ties anymore to the kingdom of Mirkwood, so your union wouldn't even be able to unite the kingdoms. If you were per say, the daughter of Lord Thranduil and was to join with Thorin then may be it would be considered...but you're not even that! You're just an ex-Mirkwood captain...you don't even have that title anymore if I were to be more specific." Gamil said. "What can you do to provide for my people? What do you have to your name that can benefit us compared to a dwarf princess who can bring together two kingdoms and bring forth a new alliance to make our kingdom stronger?"

"I may not be able to provide the benefits a royal member could provide, but I did not think it mattered, or that Thorin and my relationship was any of your business Master Gamil." I said as I leaned back into my chair, blankly staring at the dwarf.

"As the Kings counselor it is my business, and it is my duty to guide the King in the right direction even if he doesn't see the correct path to take." Gamil said. "I'm sure you've heard the rumors and gossip through the kingdom, due to your relationship with the King...the dwarves in Erebor are questioning him as King. Questioning his capability to make good decisions for his people."

"Yes, I have heard the rumors, and I am repulsed by how badly you and many others would think so badly of **your King** just because of our relationship. He created a home for you and his people after the dragon overtook your home, took only a company of thirteen dwarves back to reclaim your home when many denied his call for help, many still have the nerve to question him?" I shook my head in shame. "Back in Mirkwood it was considered uncivil to question their ruler and I quickly squashed any doubt anyone had of Lord Thranduil...a shame that some people in this kingdom cannot simply just trust their King. Not to mention, who the King courts is no one's business but his own, and even if he were to choose me or not, it is still none of my business as well."

"Lady Bellethiel, surely you see why the people in this kingdom is upset. You come from Mirkwood; you used to serve under Lord Thranduil, the very elf who turned his back on us while our home was ablaze...who turned his back when we called for help." Gamil retorted. "With Thorin choosing to so lightly care about an elf with that background, some would see it as betrayal."

"And you see it that way?" I questioned. "I am sure Balin's told you and the other counselors our story."

"Yes, Balin has told us stories of your good deeds, and these stories are only known by the council group as far as I know." Gamil said.

"Then how, Master Gamil, is me being with Thorin seen as a betrayal?" I asked.

"I do not see it as betrayal, and don't get me wrong here Lady Bellethiel. I am grateful that you helped my King and the company to reclaim the mountain, helped fight in the war, but the rest...with you returning to the mountain when Smaug attacked to help any of my people well; to us it's simply unbelievable. To us, it's just a story." Gamil said causing me to shoot up from my seat in anger, the scrapping of the wooden legs against the floor seemed to echo loudly in the silent library.

"You dare call everything I lost a story that we made up just to make us look better?" I growled out angrily, all politeness and respect I was trying to uphold thrown out the window. 'I guess, assuming from what he listed, he doesn't even know how close Thorin was to losing his own life if it wasn't for me.'

Gamil shook his head and motioned with his hand for me to sit back down.

"I'm not saying that what happened is true or false, I'm simply stating that it's just a story until we know for sure." Gamil sighed.

"You mean you need proof that what we did was true?" I glared angrily.

"Calm yourself Lady Bellethiel; I would like to address this as calmly as possible." Gamil said, not even flinching at the harsh stare I was sending his way. "Now, I know you care a great deal about the King, so much so that I think what I say next will make you think carefully on your next move."

"Speak now before I lose my patience completely." I threatened even with a calm voice, but there was still bite to my words, enough to show that I wasn't just saying things...that I would follow through if this continues.

"The council is split in half, some (but not many) believe and trust the King and his decision to be with you. But the others disagree, so much so that they will tell the King that he could lose the throne if he continues on like this. For if the kingdom doubts their King...then the kingdom will fall apart and so will order...that is what would happen if your relationship continues Lady Bellethiel, you and your other captain friend that is with the young Prince." Gamil said. "A strong kingdom trusts their King with their lives, would follow him without a doubt...but so far it's not going how it should. The kingdom is divided."

"Thorin could...lose the throne by being with me..." I restated looking down to Gamil who nodded sadly.

"Many are against such a reunion Lady Bellethiel, even with the young Prince many are against it as well." Gamil said. "We appreciate everything you've done for us, and I hate to say this...but your job was to help the company reclaim Erebor which is over...the kingdom is reclaimed, so you are no longer needed. And with you staying longer then necessary is causing the throne to slowly slip out of the Kings hands even if he doesn't know it. So, the only option we could think about...to smooth out all the problems and rumors is for you to leave. Leave the kingdom with your kin...and leave the King for good."

'Thorin...' I thought as my head began to swarm with so many thoughts, my heart feeling so conflicted, but I could only take deep breathes, telling myself to keep calm as I lifted my head to stare down emotionlessly at Gamil.

"I do hope you understand what I'm trying to say here Lady Bellethiel." A Gamil spoke out, sitting across from me. "It's nothing against you and your kin; it's just what a lot of us think would be best for the kingdom."

"I understand." I replied plainly, staring down right into the eyes of the dwarf in front of me.

"Then I hope you think about what you do from this point on." Gamil said, getting up from his chair and bowing his head to me. "Think wisely Lady Bellethiel, and I hope you choose what is right for our people."

The elderly dwarf got up and left, leaving me alone by myself in the library to ponder my thoughts and my next course of action.

I sat in silence before gritting my teeth in anger, this was the last straw. I clenched my hand into a fist and slammed it down onto the table in front of me in anger before storming out of the library in search of the one person I needed to talk to that was also involved in this situation.

And I finally found the person I was looking for; they were exactly where I thought the person would be...speaking to the young Prince in a secluded area.

"Tauriel." I called out; coming to a slow halt in front of the two and when I spoke the two snapped out of their little world and turned their attention to me. They seemed a little scared for a second at the thought of being caught, but relaxed when they recognized it was me.

"Belle!" Kili said with a smile as he waved at me.

"Bellethiel, you were looking for me?" Tauriel questioned.

"Yes, I was hoping to speak with you." I said as I glanced to Tauriel then toward Kili. "I am afraid I would have to speak with you alone."

"Why can't I stay?" Kili questioned curiously.

"Um..." I looked away in thought before nervously scratching the back of my head. "It is sort of...a personal girl thing..."

Kili blushed a bit at whatever he was thinking before nodded his head and turned to Tauriel.

"I'll just leave you two to talk by yourself." Kili said, smiling cheekily to Tauriel. "I'll be seeing you later Tauriel."

Tauriel smiled before Kili took off.

"Bye Belle!" Kili's voice echoed through the hall as he waved back to us without looking back.

"What's this really about Bellethiel?" Tauriel asked once we were alone. "We can talk about some personal girl issues, but I don't think that's the case...you're a terrible liar."

"I thought I lied pretty well, Kili fell for it." I stated in a matter-of-fact tone as I listened to make sure no one was around to hear us. "Now...what we talk about at this moment has to stay between us. Kili cannot know...no one has to know unless I announce it to the others."

"I want to say that it sounds like good news...but with that expression I have to think otherwise." Tauriel said, leaning against the wall behind her.

"I am afraid you are correct...and it is something you and I must discuss together..." I mumbled sadly, doing the same as Tauriel as I lent on the wall behind me.

So, I told her everything Gamil had said to me, his request and what would happen to Thorin and Kili...even possibly Fili and Dís if we didn't do as he requested. I said everything that pertained to the situation and slowly I could see Tauriel's frown deepen as she looked down at the ground in thought.

"So, he threatened you?" Tauriel stated.

"No, I do not think that was the case…" I replied sadly. "I think it was a warning, warning me on what could possibly happen if Thorin and my relationship were to progress any further."

"You must speak to Thorin about this Bellethiel." Tauriel advised.

"And what can I say?" I questioned, my voice raising just a bit. "If I were to tell him what the kingdom was truly saying behind his back…what his people truly thought of him how do you think he would react?" I asked sadly. "And if I were to tell him he could possibly lose the throne after all his hard work to reclaim his home…then what?"

Tauriel looked away a bit, unsure of how to handle this as well.

"What happens now…?" Tauriel asked after a few seconds of silence.

"I have watched out for you and Kili these past several months…what you choose is your decision alone…" I said.

"I…I don't know what to do…" Tauriel stated. "I love Kili but…I don't know if I'd be able to live with myself if this threatens his status as Prince and the next in line for the throne."

"I feel the same Tauriel…" I said in agreement as I kept my gaze to the ground. "I suppose…this is something we would have to think hard about…"

"We could try wait and see what happens…see if the kingdom would settle down as time went by." Tauriel mumbled and I turned to look at her. "Whatever you decide to do Bellethiel…I will respect your decision and follow your example."

I nodded my head and leaned my head back on the wall looking up to the ceiling.

'Let's just hope that whatever I choose...it will be the right one...'


	8. Family Look Out For Each Other

Months went by, and Bellethiel hoped with all hope that what Tauriel said would be true, that with time doubts of Thorin's capability as King would disappear and order would be restored once again.

But it was just as she feared, things only got worse. It seems like Thorin became more stressed as time went by and he was too busy to join Bellethiel during the night. It was very rare that they would have the opportunity to be alone and Bellethiel really needed to speak to Thorin.

She waited just as she said she would, but when she saw that things weren't getting any better she knew she had to speak to Thorin...she needed to speak to someone about what her and Gamil had spoken about in the library, but she really wanted to speak to Thorin first.

She was worried, but then...she started to learn how to conceal her emotions. She didn't want to worry Thorin anymore then she needed to.

* * *

"Nana!"

I turned to look to where the voice was coming from to see my niece running toward me in a panic.

"I am sorry, hold on just a second." I said to the two elves I was speaking to and turned to my niece who stopped in front of me, slight worry in her eyes. "Thenidiel, what could possibly be the matter now?"

"It's Fili and Kili." Thenidiel breathed out.

"What about them?" I questioned curiously.

"You need to come and stop them!" Thenidiel stated. "I couldn't find Lady Dís or Thorin anywhere!"

"What have they done?" I asked.

"Please Nana," Thenidiel begged as she reached out for the sleeve of my tunic. "There's no time, you must do something quick!"

"Okay, okay, be calm Thenidiel." I turned to the two elves I was speaking to, dismissing them immediately and then turned back to my niece. "Lead the way Thenidiel."

Thenidiel nodded and the two of us began to run in the direction only Thenidiel knew to go.

But when we got there I didn't expect to see what I saw. Actually, I thought when Thenidiel came to me with a situation that had to do with Fili and Kili, I thought that they would be arguing with each other about some silly business, but that wasn't the case.

My nephews stood in front of Fili and Kili, creating a blockade and preventing the two Princes from barging through to get to a group of dwarves who glared dangerously up to my nephews.

"Let us through!" Fili growled out attempting to push through my nephews.

"Let me at 'em!" Kili yelled out, already close to pushing through.

"Come on then!" One of the dwarves from the group provoked. "We can take ya!"

"You are so ignorant!" Fili glared. "How dare you say that about our uncle! About our friends!"

"We can say whatever we want!" Another growled out. "So what if they're saying they did so much for us! There's nothing that proves it! Your friends are just parasites, leeching off the rewards of our kingdom!"

Fili and Kili began to struggle more to get around or through my nephews, the murderous intent clear in their eyes before I decided to intervene.

"What is going on here?" I yelled, my voice booming and echoing through the halls causing all movements to cease as all eyes turned to where I stood.

But, not all eyes were on me and took advantage of my nephews lowered defenses. I saw Fili and Kili's body twitch ever so slightly. I reacted instantly and moved toward them, reaching them just as they got through my nephews. The two brothers attempted to go around me, and I let them through just a bit before I turned and wrapped my arms around their necks, bringing them close to me. The two tried their hardest to break out of my hold, struggling and squirming, but I kept a firm hold on them but not too much so I wouldn't choke them.

"You two need to calm down," I spoke as I slowly knelt to the ground on one knee. "And you can cease your struggling because you will not be getting free any time soon no matter how much you try. If you calm down I may consider releasing you two."

Fili and Kili must've realized that all their struggling was pointless for I felt their bodies relax just a bit in my grasp, through their breathing was heavy as their chest heaved up and down.

"How pitiful that an elf can put you two down." I heard a dwarf mumble quietly to himself.

"I suggest you keep your comments to yourself." I spoke out, not bothering to look to the group in front of me. "Now, leave."

"You can't tell us what to do." A defiant voice spoke up causing me to finally glance up to the group as I saw the group flinch back when they attempted to hold my gaze, all averting their eyes away instantly.

"This is a warning, I will not repeat myself." I spoke out evenly, though each word sent chills I'm sure through them for I saw a slight shiver from some of the dwarves. "If I recall correctly, everyone is supposed to respect royalty. Not speak back or speak up. You can be sure that this will be reported to the King."

I narrowed my eyes while still keeping a firm hold on Fili and Kili.

"Leave now." I said. "I will not say it again."

The group quickly dispersed, disappearing around a corner before I got back to my feet. I had let go of Fili and Kili's neck and took a hold of the collar of their coats.

"I have this under control." I said as I turned to look to my niece and nephews, slightly tugging at the coats of the Princes. "Thank you for coming to get me. I will be seeing you once I deal with these two."

"Take it easy on them Nana." Beriohtarion said with a slight smile. "We'll be at the training fields when you're through."

I nodded my head and begun to drag the two Princes to my room, well...the room Thorin and myself shared, and once I got inside the room I urged the two inside and closed the door behind me.

"Sit." I said as I motioned to the bed in the center of the room. The two dragged their feet toward the bed and plopped themselves down on the soft cushion, looking down to their feet. "I will not yell at you two, so I need you to tell me what in Eru's name went on back there."

"It was no big deal..." Kili grumbled as I saw him shuffle a bit.

"Not a big deal?" I asked, raising my eyebrow a bit as I crossed my arms over my chest. "It must have been some something big if it took my two nephews from allowing you two to do something you would regret. Not to mention my niece had to come and get me to put a stop to you two."

When the two did not talk I could only sigh as I went over to drag a chair, placing it a bit in front of them before sitting down and looking sadly at the two.

"What happened to cause such a reaction from you two?" I questioned calmly. "You looked about ready to murder them...if it escalated any further this would have caused a lot of problems not only for you two, but for your mother and for Thorin as well."

"It was...shameful to act upon it." Fili spoke out first. "But we couldn't help it."

"Tell me exactly what happened." I urged.

"We were walking with Beri and Bal when it happened." Kili answered.

"Beri and...Bal?" I questioned, smirking down at the two dwarves.

"We shortened their names; elves tend to have very long and complicated names compared to dwarves or hobbits." Kili said as I saw a slight smirk on his face. "They don't seem to mind though."

I chuckled as I nodded my head, signaling for either of them to continue.

"We were wondering if they would like to join us for training-" Fili stated.

* * *

_"Hey!" Kili yelled when him and his brother spotted Beriohtarion and Balamaethor not to far away from the two Princes._

_Beriohtarion and Balamaethor turned at the sudden shout and smiled when they saw Fili and Kili running up to them, coming to a sudden halt right in front of the two elves._

_"Fili." Beriohtarion greeted with a smile, looking from the blonde Prince to the brunette one. "Kili. It's good to see you two today."_

_"Is there anything you needed that we can help with?" Balamaethor questioned._

_"We were headed to the training grounds and were wondering if you would want to join us?" Kili questioned with a smile. "Maybe give us some tips that Belle gave you guys back in the day?"_

_"We'll join you of course." Beriohtarion said with a smile as he began to walk in the direction where they knew the training fields were._

_"But I think if we were to give you Nana's tips, I think you would die from exhaustion." Balamaethor chuckled as he followed his brother._

_"Hey!" Kili yelled as they began following the two elves behind. "We can handle whatever Belle taught you guys."_

_"Oh really now?" Balamaethor teased as he leant down to Kili's level as they kept on walking. "I think otherwise."_

_The group began to bicker with Beriohtarion smiling as his brother was arguing with both Fili and Kili about whether they could handle their Nana's training regimen or not._

_They passed a group of dwarves that were just standing around in the hallway, talking and exchanging stories that they didn't bother paying attention to the group as they four kept on walking, laughing and joking about the training that they were about to start when they reached the training fields._

_"Training with elves...has the line of Durin gone soft?" A dwarf scoffed. "Pathetic."_

_The group stopped walking, well...Fili and Kili stopped and that caused the twin elves to stop and turn to look curiously back to the Durin Princes._

_"What did you say?" Kili questioned with a slight growl underlining his words._

_"Nothing, nothing." A different dwarf said with a flick of his wrist._

_"Remember who you're talking to." Fili said sternly in a slight threatening manner._

_"Yes, of course my prince." A dwarf said in a slight bow that only angered the two Princes more for it seemed like they were simply mocking them now._

_"Fili! Kili!" Beriohtarion called out, sensing the oncoming tension and hoping to break it by taking the brothers away from a possible fight. "Come on or we'll never get any training done!"_

_Fili turned to look back at his friends before giving his brother a nudge to his ribs, getting his attention and motioning with his head back to the twin. Kili didn't want to leave as he let out a huff before reluctantly turning to follow his brother._

_"Yes, go and follow your elves." A dwarf taunted causing Kili to turn and glare back at the group before Fili flung his arm around his brother's shoulders, pushing his brother forward._

_"Ignore them." Fili advised. "Just ignore them."_

_Kili sighed before nodding his head as they began to move._

_"Hello you four." A female's voice called out._

_"Hey sis." Beriohtarion greeted as Thenidiel came striding up to them, a kind smile on her face._

_"Hey Theni!" Kili said, forgetting about the group at that exact moment._

_"Theni?" Thenidiel questioned curiously._

_"We're trying out nicknames." Fili grinned._

_"It sounds like you're calling me tiny." Thenidiel giggled. "I guess if it makes it easier for you then feel free to call me what you please."_

_"We're not just shortening your names to make it easy for us." Kili said. "You're family."_

_The three elves looked to each other before smiling down at the Princes._

_"That's nice of you to say." Balamaethor said. "Guess it makes sense too."_

_"Family?" A voice said interrupting their little moment. "You've got to be kidding me!"_

_The group turned to see the group of dwarves that had added their two cents causing Kili and Fili to glare._

_"Yes, family." Kili said crossing his arms across his chest. "They're family."_

_"Elves? And I thought things couldn't get any worse." A dwarf said._

_"It's none of your business who we choose to become part of our family anyway." Fili scoffed._

_"So! Um...where were you guys headed?" Thenidiel said nervously._

_"We were gonna head to the training fields." Beriohtarion informed his sister. "They asked us to give them tips Nana had given us back in the day."_

_"Oh! May I join you?" Thenidiel asked. "I would like to get some training in as well. I feel like I may have gotten soft in these past couple of months."_

_"Sure," Balamaethor nodded. "Shall we go th-"_

_"Hey! Back off!"_

_The three elves turned to where the voice came from to see Kili right in front of another dwarf, their noses barely touching. The two dwarves growling at each other as Fili was trying to pull his brother away._

_"How dare you talk about our friends like that!" Kili growled._

_"We can say anything we want about them!" A dwarf said. "Elves are spineless creatures that didn't bother coming to our aid when we needed them the most!"_

_"Belle and her family aren't like that! They came to our help! They turned their back on their own home just for us!" Kili yelled out angrily. "You keep your mouth shut!"_

_"Thenidiel, go and get Nana." Balamaethor ordered as his brother was already in the process of heading over to break up the little fight._

_"Stop it you two!" Beriohtarion called out as he walked up to the group of dwarves, his eyes set on Fili and Kili. "Come on; let them think what they want about us."_

" _Why do you put up with these people?" Kili grumbled, turning his eyes up to Beriohtarion._

_Beriohtarion reached out to grip the collar of Kili's coat and tugged him back just a bit before leaning down close to his ear._

" _We do it because our Nana ordered us to." Beriohtarion whispered quietly. "We appreciate you sticking up for us…but we can handle simple-minded comments. It doesn't bother us in the slightest."_

" _But why do you have to put up with it?" Kili grumbled, his eyes still set on the group as the twin elves slowly started pulling the brothers away from the group._

" _Because we know what is the truth." Balamaethor said with a glare directed to the dwarves. "As Nana has said before…we've had to endure it before, we can endure it now."_

" _Come." Beriohtarion ushered as he went to also grab a hold of Fili. "Let's head down to the training fields…we can all let off some frustration there…"_

" ** _Irak'amad menu reliku pembu rukhas (Your Aunty populated an orcish village)."_** _A dwarf mumbled causing the group to turn back around at the sudden comment._

_The twin elves looked back in boredom while the princes were enraged, they looked about ready to strangle and kill every dwarf in that group._

_Though, the moment Fili and Kili made the slightest move toward the group of dwarves, Beriohtarion and Balamaethor moved at the exact same time. The two elves made a barricade to prevent the Prince's from moving any further and getting close to the group._

" _Enough." Beriohtarion ordered, pushing the two back as they tried desperately tried to push past the two blocking their way._

" ** _Yes, listen to your elves."_** _A dwarf said._ ** _"Just like your uncle, betrayers…cuddling up to the very people who betrayed us…bunch of traitors."_**

_This caused the two to struggle more, attempting to go around or push through the elves to get to their main target._

" _Let us through!" Fili growled out in an attempt to push through the two elves._

" _Let me at 'em!" Kili yelled out, already close to squeezing through the gap between the elves._

" _Come on then!" One of the dwarves from the group began to provoke. "We can take ya!"_

" _You are so ignorant!" Fili glared. "How dare you say that about our uncle! About our friends!"_

" _We can say whatever we want!" Another growled out. "So what if they're saying they did so much for us! There's nothing that proves it! You're friends are just parasites, leeching off the rewards of our kingdom!"_

_As the two began to struggle more, they failed to notice Thenidiel had returned with someone who could put a stop to the entire ordeal._

" _What is going on here?"_

* * *

"And that is where you came in." Fili mumbled.

"Hm…" I thought as I placed a hand under my chin. "so you started a fight because someone provoked you, saying stuff that everyone in this kingdom has been saying."

"You may have been able to handle listening to such lies…but we can't stick around and do nothing but listen to them say such things about our friends." Kili defended.

I sighed in defeat before looking back at the two dwarves.

"You must be careful and watch your actions." I scolded. "They not only affect you, but they affect those around you. One day, they will be the people you will rule over, and you cannot be going head first into these types of situations without thinking."

"We…" Fili mumbled before sighing. "we understand…but it's just so frustrating!"

"You're our friends…our family…we don't like that they say such terrible things about you…" Kili grumbled.

"I wonder though…what exactly did they say?" I questioned curiously.

"They um…they said…" Kili grumbled quietly. "Your Aunty populated an orcish village…"

I couldn't help it; I had to laugh, causing the two dwarves to look up at me in confusion.

"What's so funny Belle." Fili grumbled a bit, glaring slightly.

"I am sorry, I should not have laughed." I said as I settled down. "I have not heard of that insult before, it is quite funny."

I smiled down at the two dwarves, reaching out to pat them on their hands.

"Thank you for caring so much about us, but you should not go picking fights with those who do not like us like you do." I said. "Understand?"

"You won't…tell our mom or our uncle…will you?" Kili questioned nervously.

I chuckled before holding my hands out, both my pinky fingers extended.

"My lips are sealed; this incident will stay between us three." I said. "I do not think those dwarves would report anything to Thorin after the way they acted so no one will know. But you must promise to never do something like that again."

"So, we're just supposed to turn our ears when someone insults you?" Kili asked.

"That is the deal." I stated. "Thorin has enough trouble on his plate as it is, if an opportunity arises where I can lessen his worries and stress, then I will take it. So, you have to promise me no more fights."

Fili and Kili looked at each other before reaching their hand out to me and linked their pinkies with mine.

"Promise…" The two said sounding a bit reluctant to agree.

"Do not look so upset." I said with a slight smile. "So, a few dwarves do not think so highly of us. As long as our friends stick by us then that is all that we care about, their opinion is the only ones that matter. The opinions of others do not affect us in the slightest." I shook my head. "Well…I cannot say that the same goes for the younger ones."

"Thanks Belle…" Fili said with a smile.

I nodded my head before motioning toward the door.

"Go on, get out of here." I said with a smile. "My nephews and niece are probably waiting for you at the fields."

The two nodded my head before making a dash toward the door, opening and closing the door behind them.

I sighed to myself before placing a hand over my eyes.

'The longer we stay here…the more the tension grows.' I thought sadly. 'I never expected fights to break out…the insults are getting worse and I don't know how much longer I can keep my kin at bay. How much more will we have to endure before we all snap?' I shook my head before placing my arms back at my side. 'I need to see Thorin.'

"Populated an orcish village…hmph." I grumbled reaching up and placing a strand of hair behind my ear, turning my nose up just a bit. "Not the best insult I have heard, but honestly…they need to come up with something better."

"Belle."

I jumped a bit at the sudden voice and turned back to the door to see Fili peaking his way into the room.

"Is something wrong Fili?" I asked, turning to face him.

"I just…" Fili began to rub the back of his neck. "I just wanted to say that I'm happy you're here…and to thank you."

"Thank me?" I questioned curiously. "For what might I ask?

"Looking out for us…my family…you're taking so much heat from our kin and you bare with it for us." Fili mumbled. "And you make uncle happy, so thank you…aunty."

"You..." I was at a loss for words as I simply smiled at the dwarf and nodded my head.

"Come join us at the fields." Fili said as he smiled back. "I want a rematch."

"I think you should practice more before you try and take me on again." I commented with a shake of my head as I headed to follow Fili. "Then maybe you will be able to last more than a minute."

"Once I get some tips from Bal and Beri, I'll be able to take you on!" Fili said sounding so determined before the two of us settled in content silence as we walked toward the fields side by side. "You…won't leave will you?"

"Hm?" I mumbled, glancing down to the blonde Prince. "What makes you think that I will?"

"I mean…I've heard all the harsh words being said about you in the kingdom and they all say they want you and your kin to leave…I just hope that you won't listen to them." Fili mumbled. "Never mind, forget what I said." He shook his head before taking off, running backwards as he motioned for me to follow, smiling at me. "Race you to the fields!"

I shook my head, smiling lightly and began to run at a slow pace, already catching up to Fili. Patting him on the head before running slightly ahead of him, laughing as I heard him mumble and attempt to keep up with my pace.


	9. The Throne or the Elf

_"I don't understand why it was so difficult for anyone to understand how important you guys were." Bilbo grumbled from his comfy chair, shaking his head in shame. "I mean, if it wasn't for you guys...they probably wouldn't be in the presence of the rightful rulers to the throne."_

_Antien and Frerin were now sitting at my feet while Estelwen was still in Thorin's lap._

_"Sadly," Thorin grumbled as he tried to keep our daughter from squirming around, holding up his finger to his lips as our daughter pouted and nodded her head reluctantly. "it only got worse before it could get better."_

_"I don't understand how you kept a level head throughout all of this." Bilbo mumbled bringing the cup of tea up to his lips, taking a small sip. "Especially everyone keeping their cool around the dwarves. If I was there I would probably have had a word or two to say to them."_

_"Grin and bear it as our Nana would always say." Beriohtarion said with a slight smirk as he crossed his arms across his chest._

_"So what-"_

_"Mr. Bilbo." Frerin said turning his head to look back at Bilbo, holding a finger to his lips. "Shh."_

_Bilbo glared playfully down at my son who only returned the glare with a slight pout as I could only chuckle at the little exchange._

_"Frerin." I called out bringing my sons attention back to me as I shook my head still with a smile on my face. "Manners."_

_"Sorry Mr. Bilbo..." Frerin mumbled quietly as Bilbo and I shared a smile._

* * *

"Balin." I called out as I finally was able to stop the elder dwarf in his tracks.

"Belle." Balin greeted with a smile. "What can I do for you lass?"

"I would like to speak with you...if you have time." I said with a smile. "In private if that is alright with you."

"Sure lass." Balin agreed as he turned to walk. "Shall we head to my studies to talk?"

I nodded my head as I followed the elder dwarf to his study room and began to think on how to start off the conversation...my mind all in a jumble, but I knew that I needed some information. Information that I hoped Balin could provide me with.

I followed Balin for a while before he turned and opened a door, motioning for me to step in first before closing the door behind him.

"Now, what is it you would like to talk about Belle?" Balin questioned as he moved from the door to a table that was situated in the middle of the room.

"I actually want to speak to you about how the meetings with the counselors are doing." I stated, pulling out a chair from across Balin and taking a seat. "I am curious to see what the other counselors are saying and if the rumors are true."

I watched as Balin sighed before placing a hand over his eyes.

"Depends on what rumors you have heard Belle." Balin sighed. "There's so much going around that I'm appalled by such disloyalty."

"There have been talks among Thorin's counselors that due to Thorin being with me...he may lose his right to the throne." I spoke bluntly getting straight to business causing Balin to look up at me in shock before quickly recovering.

"That is actually confidential...it was supposed to be only known among the counselors." Balin shook his head. "Where did you hear that from Belle?"

'I can't tell him that Gamil had spoken to me about that certain matter...' I thought as I coughed into my hand. "I overheard some counselors speaking amongst themselves; they assumed they were alone..."

Balin gave me a suspicious look before sighing sadly.

"I would like to say that it's all just talk...that it's simply a threat because they don't approve of an elf being with Thorin. But...I'm afraid it's true, they've been discussing this in secrecy without me being a part of their secret meetings...not even Thorin knows of their intention yet." Balin sighed. "Order is surely slipping I'm afraid...and there will be a point where we won't be able to control it."

"I am curious...if Thorin knew and was given an ultimatum, what would he choose." I questioned, dreading what Balin's reply would be...though deep down I kind of knew what Thorin would do.

"Understand this Belle." Balin stated, crossing his arms across his chest as he leaned back into his chair, his head lowered as he looked to be in deep thought about his next words. "If you had asked me this question possibly at the beginning of this quest, I would tell you that he would choose his throne in a blink of an eye." Balin then sighed and looked back to me, staring straight into my eyes as he smiled slightly. "But now...I have never seen Thorin look at another female the way he looks at you. I've known Thorin since he was a little dwarfling. There have been many suitors that have come up to him and he has turned them away. I can't even remember any lass actually catching his attention like you have."

Balin reached out and placed a hand upon my own that was resting in the middle of the table.

"If you want my honest answer Belle: the throne is indeed important to Thorin, but...I think if he were forced to decide giving you up for the throne, or forfeit the throne to be with you...he would give up the throne in a heartbeat." Balin said.

'The throne is indeed important to Thorin...' I thought as I looked at Balin's hand over my own. 'but...can I live with myself if he were to give that up? He would be ridiculed and his name would be forever slandered if he were to choose an elf over his birth right...'

"Are the counselors planning to tell Thorin this any time soon?" I questioned curiously.

"I can't say for sure if they will or not, they don't tell me about those meetings." Balin said. "They'll probably spring it on in any meeting when they want to."

"I suppose I will find out when Thorin decides to storm into our room with a murderous look..." I mumbled, slowly getting back to my feet. "Thank you Balin for answering my question, I am sorry for taking up your time if you were headed somewhere important."

"It's not a problem lass." Balin said with a shake of his head. "I'm sorry things aren't going as smoothly as I had hoped. I was actually hoping that once we reclaimed our homeland that things would just fall into place and there wouldn't be a problem...but I guess not everything goes the way we plan."

I shook my head and went over to place a hand on Balin's shoulder.

"I am sure things will settle soon..." I said sadly. "then you can relax and not stress so much."

Balin smiled and reached up to place a hand over my own.

"I do hope you are right Belle." Balin mumbled.

I nodded my head before placing my hand back at my side.

"I shall see you around Balin." I stated, heading toward the door. "I must go and make sure my kin are keeping themselves in order...not to mention seeing if they are progressing with our restoration plans."

"Thank you Belle..." Balin mumbled causing me to turn and look back at the elder dwarf over my shoulder.

"Hm...?"

"For relieving some stress off of Thorin...I think if you weren't helping out much then I think Thorin would've caved in by now and went off on his father's counselors." Balin stated.

I smiled and nodded before taking my leave back to my room.

I had hoped to get some peace once I get to my room, but as Balin had said...not everything goes as planned for the moment I opened my door I was greeted by an enraged King.

"Those blasted insolent, infuriating, insufferable dwarves." Thorin was mumbling to himself as he kept pacing back and forth in the middle of the room. "I don't understand why my grandfather kept them around...I don't even understand why I keep them around."

"Thorin?" I questioned, quietly closing the door behind me. "What is wrong my King?"

Thorin only mumbled as he kept on pacing, he didn't seem to notice me and kept cursing in both Khuzdul and in common tongue.

I could only sigh and went over to the pacing dwarf getting right behind him. As soon as he swiftly turned to pace back the other way Thorin bumped right into me causing him to stumble back ever so slightly.

While Thorin was rubbing his forehead I gently placed both my hands on his shoulder and kept him still. Thorin looked up at me and I saw the stress lines on his face edge away while a serene expression replaced it.

"Welcome back Thorin." I joked ever so slightly as I chuckled just a bit. "Now what troubles you on this lovely afternoon?"

Thorin looked torn before I felt his shoulders slump under my hands.

"Thorin?" I questioned a bit unsure as I slowly placed my hands back at my side. "What happened?"

"It's my grandfather's counselors again..." Thorin mumbled as he slowly turned his back to me. "They...they're making me choose."

'They didn't...' I thought, the feeling of dread settling in the pit of my stomach. "Choose Thorin?"

"If I choose to keep you by my side...then I forfeit my right to the throne." Thorin growled out as I could see his hands clench at his side. "I just don't understand why they can't understand...it's not that hard to get!"

It hurt my heart to see Thorin struggle, and it hurt even more to know that I'm part of the cause for his troubles.

"What did you tell them?" I questioned curiously.

"Nothing, I stormed out the moment they spoke." Thorin replied, as he laced his hands together behind his back. "I would not hear another word, or hear their reason for saying such a thing."

Thorin sighed before he went over to sit on the edge of the bed, placing his head in his hands.

"I'm going to tell them tomorrow that if I have to forfeit the throne then I will." Thorin suddenly said after a few minutes of silence.

"Thorin..." I mumbled swiftly moving to stand in front of him, kneeling down just a bit. "you can't..."

Thorin held his hand up to silence me before reaching out and taking one of my hands into his own, giving it a tight squeeze.

"If it wasn't for you Belle I wouldn't be standing here, breathing. My nephews wouldn't be here if it wasn't for your family. You've done so much for my kin and some of the stuff the counselors assume it's just a fairy story." Thorin mumbled. "I almost lost you once Belle and it wasn't by choice. This time I do have a choice and I'm not going to choose to let you go."

"Thorin..."

I couldn't finish my sentence for Thorin had gotten straight onto his feet and silenced me with his lips on my own...it caught me off guard and I was unable to react. When my mind finally registered what was happening he pulled away.

"This conversation is over." Thorin stated his face still very close to mine. "No more talk of this Belle...if I have to give up the throne just to be with you then I will. Fili is the next in line for the throne...I will just assist Fili in his ruling. He will be a great King."

"But Thorin, you should not have to give up anything for something that rightfully belongs to you." I defended, reaching my hand out to place it over his. "The throne, this mountain, is your birthright. You have fought and risked your life to reclaim it for your people. You should not have to give it up...this is...it is important to you."

"But you're more important." Thorin said straight out without giving it a second thought. "The throne is indeed my birthright, but I have said before...you are more important than the Kings Jewel, and you are definitely more important than the throne."

'Thorin...' I thought as I took a step back. "And what of your people...they will always think badly of you and your kin for choosing an elf over the kingdom."

"I could care less what they think of me." Thorin grumbled as he shook his head. "Let them talk all they want."

Thorin leaned forward and placed a kiss to my forehead before sighing and walked around me, heading to the door.

"I've made my choice my sweet jewel." Thorin mumbled. "I wish we could spend this time alone together...but I have to go and speak with Balin. I'll be back here later tonight..."

Thorin turned to leave and though he assured me that he was alright with his decision, I felt a slight unease with the way we left this conversation. The expressions he conveyed were different from the words he spoke...and I knew he was conflicted. His words weren't lying...that much I could tell, but I'm sure that it hurt to know that he was giving up his throne. His eyes were so sad...and it was my fault.

He is being forced to choose between someone he loves and something that he deserved...something that I fought hard for him to claim. Not to mention I had gone against the path the Valar had set, and almost paid with my life...not to mention my nephews almost lost their lives for my decision.

I was getting irritated with all this thinking; I could feel my head hurting as I reached up to pinch the bridge of my nose.

'What am I going to do...' I thought as I left the room, sighing.

As I walked around the kingdom, I could see the disorder and the tension that my kin caused, though it was well hidden…to those that knew of the problem could see it clear as day and I growled in irritation.

"You." I called out to the nearest elf that had passed me, startling the poor thing at how loud I had accidentally called out for him. I looked to his ear and saw that he did not have a piercing. 'Must have joined us from Mirkwood.' I thought suddenly, looking him over.

"Yes Ma'am!" The young elf said his body stiff as he stood at attention.

"Have you seen Tauriel around?" I questioned as the young elf nodded.

"She took a group of elves to Dale, said that Bard had asked for some extra hands to help rebuild some of the buildings." The young elf said suddenly.

I nodded my head and turned to leave before turning back to him.

"You are from Mirkwood." I stated plainly causing him to nod.

"Yes Ma'am." The elf stated. "I joined up with you, along with many others, after the battle. It's an honor to finally meet you in person." The elf looked away a bit embarrassingly. "I was just one of many of the new recruits that you were training back in Greenwood the Great, so you probably don't remember me."

"I remember all of the people I have trained Aylan." I replied catching the young elf off guard. "Thank you for the help and keep up the good work."

I instantly left toward one of the areas that held our horses, mounted one and took off toward Dale, set to find one person.

The horse I was on galloped straight across the open field that lay between Erebor and the city, and once I hit the bridge that connected the two places I pulled on the reigns causing the horse to come to a slow trot.

"Excuse me," I called to a passing villager that was holding a bunch of wood. "I am looking for Bard or an elf with red hair."

"They're at the Great Hall ma'am." One of the villagers replied with a smile. "The very pretty elf and Bard is giving out orders and assignments to every able-bodied person, everyone is pitching in to help rebuild our home. You can find them there pretty lady."

"Thank you kind sir." I said with a nod and pulled the reigns of my horse in the direction of the Great Hall, ordering the creature to a slow trot through the streets of Dale.

When I reached my destination I saw Bard and Tauriel. The two looked to be slightly arguing over something on the piece of parchment that was held between them.

"Tauriel. Bard." I called, my horse slowly coming to a halt as I swung my leg over and off the horse.

"Bellethiel." Bard greeted with a relieved smile. "What brings you to Dale?"

"I was looking for Tauriel." I replied, taking a look around the open courtyard. "Progress seems to be going well."

"Yeah, it is." Bard commented with a smile. "With everyone pitching in, progress goes by much quicker and Dwarves tend to move quickly as well." Bard then turned to look back at me. "I know I've said this before, but it's really good to see you alright and walking around. The kids have been asking about you."

"Well give them my best." I said with a smile before shaking my head. "Sadly, this trip is not for entertainment purpose. Tauriel."

Tauriel nodded her head before handing the piece of paper back to Bard and came to my side.

"I will only be borrowing her for a second." I assured Bard who only waved away in dismissal.

"Please, take all the time you need." Bard commented with a smirk as he retreated back into the Great Hall.

I could only chuckle as I looked back to Tauriel who only glared slightly at the back at Bard.

"Did I miss something?" I questioned playfully causing Tauriel to shake her head.

"No, it's nothing. Just some slight disagreement." Tauriel assured as she then turned to look at me. "What did you want to talk about? Did Gamil talk to you again?"

I looked around and saw the courtyard crowded and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Let us go somewhere private." I commented, urging her away. "This is a conversation meant for our ears only..."

When Tauriel saw how serious I was being, her expression turned serious as well and she nodded her head as the two of us headed toward a secluded area on the second floor of an unoccupied building.

"What happened now Bellethiel?" Tauriel questioned with worry as I folded my arms across my chest and stared out into the scenery in front of us.

I told her of my conversation with Thorin, and I told her everything…never leaving out any small detail.

"So, Thorin was given an ultimatum..." Tauriel mumbled. "this cannot go well."

"I cannot see it going well." I said in agreement as I shook my head. "His people will always talk, and his name will go down in legend as the King who turned his back on his people and choose an elf over his followers. I do not know if I can live with that guilt Tauriel..."

"I wouldn't even know...what advice I can give you to help Bellethiel." Tauriel mumbled sadly. "I can think of two and both options have terrible outcomes."

I nodded my head, knowing exactly what two options she was talking about, and it was true...both paths led to both having terrible outcomes.

"I am getting too old for this drama Tauriel..." I mumbled with a slight chuckle. "I thought that once you get older, these trivial things would be left behind."

"Yeah, but once you fall in love...drama is inevitable." Tauriel said with a smile. "As I have said before Captain, any decision you decide...I will follow without complaint. You've led us this far with good intentions; I will not question your leadership now. I've led the elves of Greenwood by your example after all."

Suddenly, something came to me. Something my siblings have told me when I would listen to their problems and something I've come across when I travelled on my own. I would hear it when the woman in the race of men would talk at the pubs.

Right then and there...my decision was made.

"Tauriel." I commented, turning to look at the elf at my side. "I have made a decision. I will be heading back to the kingdom. I shall see you when you get back."

Tauriel nodded before clearing her throat.

"Before you leave Bellethiel...answer this." Tauriel mumbled a bit sadly. "Is it a decision you wish to make?"

I did not answer, I could not answer; I just turned to leave back to the kingdom.

* * *

"Belle?"

I had confined myself in my room, thinking over and rehearsing what I was going to say without interruptions. I was sitting and waiting for my King to return as he had said he would, but the moment he walked in through the door all my words I was willing to say went out the window...I forgot everything that I was rehearsing.

Thorin looked worn out...he looked tired and exhausted, but he smiled just a bit the moment his eyes were set on me.

"You didn't have to wait up for me my love." Thorin commented as he moved his shoulders around, seeing a little pained expression on his face as he stretched a bit more. "I was going to be late...I'm sorry that you had to stay up long."

"Elves do not need much sleep Thorin, remember?" I reminded with a slight smile.

"How was your day?" Thorin questioned. "Did you do anything special?"

"It was uneventful." I said as I stood up from my chair.

Thorin smiled a bit, walking up close to me before I took a step back.

"Thorin, we need to talk about something." I said with a stoic face, causing Thorin to look up at me curiously.

"Al...right..." Thorin drawled out a bit curiously and wary.

I looked down to Thorin, and I could feel my mouth getting dry. My palms were beginning to sweat a little, my heart began to race and I could feel myself slowly start to feel myself backing out, wanting to dismiss it and just have Thorin get some rest. But...I knew I had to push on through or else...I will never be able to say what I need to say.

"Thorin...I cannot tell you how sorry I am that things are not going as easy as we had hoped." I mumbled sadly. "But I do not think I can live with your name going down in legends as the King who turned his back on his people for a lowly elf...I will not be able to live with that guilt..."

"Bellethiel...I don't care if I end up being the first King to choose an elf over his people and you shouldn't care either." Thorin mumbled taking a small step forward. "You are not just some lowly elf Bellethiel..."

"Thorin..." I mumbled with a sigh, wrapping my arms around my body as I looked down sadly. "this thing between us...I...we cannot do this anymore..." I mumbled just barely loud enough for him to hear. "I am sorry..."


	10. Sacrifice

I never understood love.

For thousands of years I always questioned why people did such crazy and ridiculous things in the name of love, to justify that what they were doing was because they were in love.

I always asked my siblings what being in love was like, to explain what love was. Sadly, they would always end up laughing or giggling at me before attempting to explain to me what the concept of love was. I will be honest…I never understood a single word they said when they tried to explain it to me. They would tell me that the love for a sibling is different when loving someone who wasn't related to us.

When I voiced my confusion, they would just tell me that I would have to experience it to understand. Telling me that one day I would get what they were trying to tell me, and I for a while believed that I would never understand…and after a while I forgot about the foreign concept, thinking that such a fate would never befall me…that I would never have the love like that in my lifetime.

I remember something my siblings would always tell me though, and it never triggered in my mind until I had heard it spoken in the city of Men.

It was a phrase that many have said, and there is so many different ways to say this phrase…but it always meant the same thing. Again, it was something I never understood fully, if anything it made me think that love sounded like a ridiculous concept to grasp.

**_"Sacrificing your happiness for the happiness of the one you love, is by far, the truest type of love."_ **

For thousands and thousands of years I never understood what any of them meant by that. I understood the basic concept and based my choices around making sacrifices for others…for my siblings, but my siblings would always tell me that it was much deeper than that. And sometimes they would say that it could be the worse type of pain anyone could ever experience. It was much worse than a stab wound my brother would comment.

And oh how right he was, the pain was unbearable. I finally understood the deeper meaning they always sprouted about, and I wish that I didn't.

* * *

_I stood in front of Thorin Oakenshield...the dwarf I have come to love over the past couple of years, doing what my sister once explained as 'breaking a person's heart.'_

_The two of us stood still, the silence was suffocating and as cowardly as it was…I couldn't look Thorin in his eyes. The words I had spoken were settling in and I could feel my heart tightening, I could feel heat collecting around my eyes and slight tears collecting at the corner. But I knew I couldn't be acting this way, it was my decision, if I break now…Thorin would never let this thing go through._

_I took a deep breath, controlling my emotions and bought my arms back to my side. After a few seconds I opened my eyes and got the courage to lift my head, holding it high and for a second I almost physically flinched back at the sight that was in front of me._

_The expression I saw on Thorin's face was something I wished to have never seen again for the last I had seen that expression…was back at the secret door. The very moment he had thought we had lost the last light and missed the opportunity to open the secret door leading into Erebor. It was a heart breaking expression, but I had to keep reminding myself to try and stay strong…I can weep on my own time._

_"What is the meaning of this Bellethiel." Thorin spoke up so quietly that if it wasn't for my ears…I probably wouldn't have heard him. I could hear no emotion except what sounded like shock as his voice cracked a bit at the end, his whole body standing eerily still. "Please tell me you're joking."_

_"I am so sorry Thorin." I said with a shake of my head. "This is no joke…"_

_"Then why." Thorin mumbled, almost in a pleading manner as he took a hesitant step toward me. "Tell me why Bellethiel."_

_"I have told you Thorin." I said while holding eye contact with Thorin. "I do not want to be the reason you lose your throne, or the reason that you will always be known as the King that picked an elf over his very own people. That is something you can never change, it will go down in Middle Earth history and no one will forget. I do not wish to hear your name be slandered in such a way."_

_"Belle…" Thorin said._

_"From the beginning of this journey, you were set on reclaiming this mountain. Gandalf had said that Erebor is your birthright. Your grandfather sat on that throne and if the dragon did not get involved, he was expecting your father and you to take the throne once he passed into the halls of his father and grandfathers." I stated. "I risked my life because I believed you and your kin deserved to sit on the throne instead of some distant family member of yours. And it is because of me that you may not get that opportunity to show how great of a King you will be…"_

_"You said you wouldn't leave my side unless I order you to Belle, why are you saying this now?" Thorin questioned, his voice raising as I could hear slight anger in his voice._

_"Thorin, I care so much about you…do not get the wrong idea." I stated with a heavy heart. "But Thorin, at some point I will outlive you, and throughout my immortal life…I will live with the guilt of ruining your life and ruining your name…I will live for thousands of years and hear the tale of how Thorin choose an elf over his people. Hear so many people over the next centuries speak your name in shame. They will mock you and laugh at the mere mention of your name."_

_"You will not be ruining my life at all!" Thorin growled out, stepping forward and taking my hand in his. "How can being by my side be wrong? Why can't you understand that I don't care about what the kingdom, or anyone, says about me if I choose to be with you Belle!"_

_"You are conflicted Thorin…" I mumbled as I carefully pulled my hand out of his grasp. "the words you told me today was indeed the truth…I know that, but the look in your eyes told me a different story. You did not like that you had to choose between me and the throne. And do not lie to me right now Thorin, because you and I both know it is the truth. So, I am making the choice easy for you."_

_Thorin couldn't say anything, because sadly…I was right, though in times like this I wish I wasn't. He was indeed feeling conflicted, I was important to him yes…but so was his throne and his people. He hated that he had to choose and I smiled sadly down at the dwarf King._

_"Thorin, I have been alive for thousands of years and I have never felt the way I feel toward you for anyone…and I do not think I ever will as time goes by. But we cannot be together Thorin…I will not stand by and be the reason that you gave up your throne for. If we continue with this, get married…my nephews, my niece, Fili, Kili, and Dís…our family will never have a moment of peace in this kingdom. We will all be miserable…" I sighed sadly. "Maybe in another life, or if my ranking was different, or maybe if I was a dwarf things would be different…it would be a happier and merrier time. But with me being what I am…you will always have large obstacles blocking your way, obstacles that are put there because of me."_

_I shook my head before reaching out carefully and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a tight squeeze._

_"I may not be making much sense, I may be even rambling, and I may possibly be making the biggest mistake I have ever made…but love, I was told, makes sacrifices. You are willing to sacrifice your throne for me, so I am willing to sacrifice my happiness for yours, and you may say that I am the reason for your happiness…but I know you would also wish that you had the throne deep down." Thorin did not say a word so I simply continued on. "I know you are angry with me…but I hope one day you can find it in your heart to forgive me."_

_I took a step back and turned toward the door, opening it and prepared to leave._

_"I am truly sorry Thorin…" I mumbled before closing the door behind me, leaving Thorin standing in the room alone with his thoughts._

* * *

Days after, Bellethiel had changed; it would appear that Bellethiel had built up walls so none could see what she was going through. She had put on a mask, and for a while no one understood why which caused many to be concerned. She kept to herself, leaving to who knows where at night and returning the next day to assign her kin jobs that needed to be done around the kingdom.

She wouldn't talk to the company, her nephews, her niece or her friends. They would all try and attempt to corner her to get her to talk, but she would simply brush them off with a simple blank stare and leave.

Thorin wasn't taking the break up any easier. He would get angry at random times, lock himself in his room when he wasn't needed and went about his job as a King with a stoic face. This only raised suspicion to everyone who noticed, everyone who knew the two leaders personally wanted to know what was going on and yet none of them would say a thing. Thorin would get angry and Belle would grow eerily silent, instantly causing the person asking to let the subject go.

It wasn't until word got around that Thorin was no longer seeing Bellethiel that caused many to eagerly want to know what in Valar's name happened. What had gone wrong? For not too long ago they looked extremely happy with no problems arising. Their friends and family wanted answers…and they most importantly wanted to know if their friends were alright.

Bellethiel's nephews were growing tired of the way their aunt was acting, they decided that this time when they asked…the two wouldn't back down. After all, they were related to their aunt and being raised by her for so long, the two picked up traits that made Bellethiel into the leader she was today.

"Nana." Beriohtarion called out as soon as his eyes found his aunt walking through the halls alone.

Beriohtarion and Balamaethor quickly attempted to catch up to their aunt while dragging their sister behind them.

Bellethiel stopped in her steps before she slowly turned back to where she had heard the voices calling for her. The three jumped back just a bit at the stare that their Nana had given them before the two twins regained the composure and turned to stare their Nana straight in her eyes.

"Nana, we need to talk." Beriohtarion stated as they closed the distance between them and their aunt, now standing right in front of her.

"What is the problem?" Bellethiel asked, her voice even and steady without a hint of emotions showing through.

"You're the problem Nana." Balamaethor blurted out before flinching just a bit at the stare his Nana had given him, the stare getting harder the more they stood in front of her.

"And what did I do to cause such a problem?" Bellethiel questioned, turning fully to face her family.

"The way you're acting Nana, everyone is worried about you." Thenidiel added. "We're worried, your friends, Fili Kili and Dís are worried. We've heard about what happened to you and Thorin. You're acting funny and keeping to yourself ever since! Please talk to us Nana…it's not healthy to keep everything that you're feeling hidden away…"

"I do not think I am hiding anything away Thenidiel." Bellethiel said, her eyes softening just a bit. "This is how I have always been since I lived back in Greenwood. What happened between Thorin and I…is not for you to know or concern yourself with. You three do not need to worry about me, I am alright."

Bellethiel stepped forward and placed her hand on her nieces shoulder, giving it a tight squeeze before quickly letting go.

"Now, I am pretty sure I gave you three some work to do, I suggest you get to it instead of worrying about such things that do not concern you." Bellethiel mumbled. "I am fine you three, remember…it is my job to worry about you not the other way around."

"But you're our aunt…" Thenidiel defended. "you can't always carry the weight of the world by yourself. Share the load with us…you need to speak to someone about it. We worry about you because we're family…you can't expect us to turn our noses the other way."

"It is exactly what I expect you to do because it does not concern you three." Bellethiel stated plainly. "Thorin and I are over, that is just the way it is."

"But why! You two were happy together? What happened to cause you to suddenly stop?" Thenidiel defended.

"Enough!" Bellethiel ordered, her voice rising just a bit, causing the two of the youngest to flinch at the slight harshness in her voice. "Please…just enough. I do not wish to speak to anyone about it. Now go back to work…"

Bellethiel turned to leave before someone reached out to grab a hold of the sleeve of Bellethiel's tunic. She turned around to face Beriohtarion who looked at his aunt with the most hurt filled eyes.

"Don't do this Nana…" Beriohtarion begged as his grip on the fabric of Bellethiel's tunic tightened. "not again…"

"Do not do what again Beriohtarion?" Bellethiel questioned as she turned back around to her family.

"Don't shut us out from whatever is bothering you in that mind of yours Nana." Beriohtarion said looking down to the ground sadly. "The last time you did this…you disappeared the next day without a word…without a goodbye and we never saw you for years until you returned with a company of dwarves." Two lines of tears streaked down Beriohtarion's face the more he thought about it. "Don't do this again…we can't lose you again…"

Bellethiel looked down, her face shadowed by her hair before she let out a long sigh and placed a hand on her nephews, releasing his hand and placing it as his side.

"Tonight…" Bellethiel said as she turned her back to her family. "spread the word to all our friends, to all the elves in the kingdom. I am calling a meeting in the abandoned library, the one that no one goes to that is deep within the kingdom. Everyone should know where it is; if not…then tell them to go with someone who does know." Bellethiel straightened her back, her eyes holding a bit of sadness in them that quickly disappeared. "Tell them it is urgent and that everyone is to attend. No ifs, ands, or buts…understand?"

"What's this meeting for?" Balamaethor questioned curiously.

"Everyone will know once we are gathered together…and remember." Bellethiel said. "No one, and I mean no one, is to know other than our kin. Understand?"

The three elves looked a bit hesitant before nodding reluctantly.

"Late at night when the kingdom is asleep is when we will meet, do not come in large groups for it would look suspicious, and make sure no one is shadowed." Bellethiel ordered before beginning to walk away. "I shall see you all later tonight."

With that being said, Bellethiel disappeared to who knows where and out of her family's sight…but unknown to her nephews and niece, when she was a fair amount away from them she had ducked into an abandoned room. Her legs had given out on her as she slid down to the floor with her back against the door, and her shoulders began to shake.

And in that room she wept tears of grief. The pain she held in was taking its toll on her, but she didn't want to speak to anyone about it or show it. It was her decision and yet…it hurt so much. To pass by Thorin, to see him in the hallways speaking to any dwarf and not talk to him was the worse. Several times she would catch herself just about to call out to him, reach out for him…and several times she had to stop herself.

'This is for the best…' She would remind herself constantly as she would steady herself and just pass Thorin by, ignoring him. 'it is for the best…'

* * *

Night had come faster than I had expected. I was the first to arrive in the library with Tirananniel following close by. The moment she entered into the library, she had given me a stern look mixed with sympathy and sadness…already knowing why I had called this meeting.

Slowly, elves started to pool and pile into the kingdom's library. They were coming in pairs or in small groups, quietly slipping in and the library slowly started to fill up. The elves were either sitting in the chairs, on the tables, on the floor, or standing…all beginning to huddle close together so that others would be able to fit as more came through the large double doors.

Tirananniel and Mellimeldisiel came to stand on my left while Tauriel had come to stand on my right and from where I stood I could see Bregolien by the door ushering what looked to be the last of our friends into the room for he nodded at me, signaling that there was no one else coming.

I laced my hands behind me as I began to address the crowd situated in front of me.

"Thank you everyone for coming." I called out, drawing everyone's attention to me as silence settled between everyone. "Now, I am sure everyone is wondering why exactly I have called you here at such short notice so late at night…but I found it urgent that I tell you this as soon as possible."

I looked around and saw my nephews and niece situated very close to the front of the large group, staring at me intently as everyone waited patiently for me to continue.

"I am sad to inform you that after this kingdom is restored to the best of our abilities, and our assistance in Dale is no longer needed…we will be leaving this kingdom for good." I stated plainly causing the large group to glance at their neighbors, their friends, in confusion. Whispers and mumbling began to go through the crowd, the noise getting louder and louder by the second. "Settle down everyone please!" I called out causing an instant silence to settle once more.

"Why do you say that Captain?" An elf called out curiously.

"I am sure you have already learned, but if you have not then my relationship with the King is no longer in…good standing I suppose you could say." I voiced out. "And I am sure you all can see that our presence here has bought about chaos and discord. With us being here…balance and order has been tipped. I was advised that if we are to leave then things would begin to settle and the order of this kingdom will begin to settle."

"Who advised you Nana…?" Balamaethor questioned and I could only sigh.

"Gamil, a council member of Thorin's, had spoken to me several months ago. He had bought to my attention these problems and more, and advised me that our presence here is causing problems amongst his people." I informed. "It was worse than any of us could have imagined."

"He had informed me…that if I were to continue my relationship with Thorin and if we all were to stay here…then Thorin would lose his throne." I spoke out causing a large uproar throughout my kin.

"Don't they know of what we have done?"

"How is that fair?"

"That is ridiculous!"

"Blasphemy!"

"The King chose his throne over our Captain! This is…unforgivable!"

"Is that why you and Thorin separated…" I heard Thenidiel mumble, to which I simply ignored.

"It was I that chose to separate myself from Thorin, my reason is not for you to understand…but it was my choice to make." I stated plainly. "One part is done, and all that is left is for us to leave. To which…through this decision…I am hoping that order in this kingdom will ensure soon after."

"But why must we be threatened by a simple dwarf!"

"We all know how a kingdom is supposed to run…how a kingdom properly runs…" I sighed sadly. "the reason it is like this now is because we are here. Even if we believe we belong here…would we really be so selfish as to stay here and risk more problems for Thorin and our friends who have stuck by us?"

The crowd ranged from different emotions; from sad, to shame, and to understanding.

"Our friends…the dwarves who we fought with and accepted us have been kind to us. Allowing us to stay here for so long and even they are undergoing fire for defending us." I said. "We can repay their kindness by leaving…giving them the peace the rightfully deserve."

"But…where would we go…?"

"After the battle at the gates of Erebor, in Dale I had spoken to Thranduil." I answered the saddened elf who had asked the question, a question I'm sure everyone was asking, but afraid to ask. "He had apologized for his actions all those years ago and had lifted our banishment. For those that wish to return back to our home then I am sure Lord Thranduil will welcome any with open arms. And as for those who do not wish to return, Lord Elrond back in Imladris still has a home for all of you as well. Everyone will still have a place to call home when we leave Erebor."

"When do we leave…?" An elf questioned a bit nervously after a few moments of silence, my words having been accepted in everyone's head.

"Once everything is settled here…we will leave in the cover of night. Without a sound, without a trace…it will be like we were never here in the first place. I will personally thank Thorin and his people for allowing us to stay here for so long once restoration is finished. After, we will take our leave back home." I stated. "Everyone will know when the time to leave is."

I looked around and saw that everyone was now talking amongst themselves, keeping themselves occupied and as I was about to walk away and leave Tauriel placed a hand on my shoulder.

I looked to Tauriel who looked to be sharing in my pain for she was also in the same position as I was.

"So this is your decision…" Tauriel mumbled sadly.

I sighed before reaching out and taking both her hands in my own, holding our linked hands between us.

"I cannot tell you what to do Tauriel." I stated plainly. "If you wish to stay here…then I will not urge you to think otherwise. My advice to you would be to always stay strong in this kingdom with Kili and his family. But I cannot tell you what to do, I have made my decision and you must make your decision by yourself."

"I said that I would trust your judgment." Tauriel stated. "I know that you are only looking out for Thorin and the company…even if this is such a sad outcome. I just don't know what to say to Kili."

"I…I do not know what advise I can give you Tauriel." I mumbled sadly. "I am sorry…"

"I'll think of something to say…" Tauriel mumbled. "was it difficult to break the news to Thorin?"

I thought for a second before I closed my eyes and released her hands.

"It was the most difficult decision I had to make…and the worst news I ever had to give." I mumbled turning my back. "Be strong Tauriel…that is all the advice I can give you."

I caught sight of my niece and nephews who only gave me such sorrow filled looks the moment I passed them and maneuvered my way through the crowd, making my way toward the double doors.

Tirananniel was waiting at the door for me, stopping me from moving any further, the two of us standing face to face.

"What is it now Tirananniel…?" I questioned in defeat.

"Where will you go Bellethiel…?" Tirananniel questioned.

"Wherever my niece and nephews decide to go." I stated causing Tirananniel to glare back at me.

"I have the gift of foresight my friend." Tirananniel stated in an eerily even tone. "I cannot see where you are headed; you are neither in Greenwood or Imladris."

"I…" I was about to speak before Tirananniel gave me a scolding look, as if to warn me that the next words I speak must be the truth. "I wish I could truthfully say that I wish to be where my niece and nephews would go…"

"But it's not truly where you wish to be." Tirananniel answered for me and I could only nod.

"I love my…children." I stated, testing the word, feeling a bit awkwardly. "I have watched over Beriohtarion and Balamaethor ever since my sister sailed to Valinor…but I think without me they will be fine. They are at an age where they can look after themselves now…"

"What will you do Bellethiel?" Tirananniel questioned.

"I will do as I have always done…travel around trying to find a place to settle." I stated honestly.

"And what of Thorin?" Tirananniel questioned.

"I cannot stay here Tirananniel, I am sure you have already seen what would come about the longer all of us…the longer I stay here. Even if I wish I could stay here I cannot, and even if I settle in either Imladris or Greenwood…it would not be home." I stated plainly.

"You wish to stay here." Tirananniel stated.

"I do indeed wish it, for it is where my heart lays." I said with a small smile, thinking of a particular dwarf with ocean blue eyes, coat lined with fur and quite possibly the most beautiful person I had ever laid my eyes upon in thousands of years before I chuckled in a sarcastic way. "But not everyone gets what they wish for…do they Tirananniel."

I was about to push open the door before I heard slight shuffling from behind the door and running footsteps disappearing down the hall causing me to quickly push the door open…greeting by nothing but darkness.

I looked from one side to the other, seeing absolutely nothing and hearing nothing before taking a step out of the library and turned back to Tirananniel.

"Tell me Tirananniel." I said "Is what I am doing the right decision…"

"Your intentions are in the right place my dear…" Tirananniel said with a small smile, her eyes a bit unsettling for I could not read what she was feeling. "but whether it is right or wrong I cannot say for I don't know what you could've done to make the outcome a good one."

"Will things settle once we leave?" I questioned curiously.

"I cannot always tell you the future Bellethiel." Tirananniel said with a slight smirk as I just shook my head and turned to leave. "But I can tell you this _mellon nín (my friend)_."

I stopped and waited for Tirananniel to continue, and when she didn't say anything I turned to look back at her over my shoulder and her expression caught me off guard.

She was smiling…as if to say she knew something that I would later find out.

"Things are going to get much better." Tirananniel said with a cheeky smile.

"How can you smile in a time like this?" I mumbled sadly turning my back to her. "I will be taking my leave, please tell everyone to return to their rooms quietly."

* * *

Bellethiel took her leave, leaving Tirananniel standing alone outside of the double doors. The elf with the gift of foresight watched her friend leave and made sure that Bellethiel was a fair distance before she had shook her head, saying something that Bellethiel did not hear.

"As the Queen commands." Tirananniel mumbled with a smile before turning to head back into the library. "Things will indeed get better my friend, just bear with the pain until then. You shall get the happiness you deserve."


	11. There's A Plan!

"Thorin." I called out to my brother who I had found lounging about in the balcony area that we used to go to as kids. He looked to be brooding and spacing out for when I opened my mouth to speak he had jumped just a bit in surprise. "Thorin, we need to talk."

"I'm busy sister, can't this wait till later." His voice rumbled lowly and I knew what he was thinking going by the tone of his voice.

You see...when my brother got upset or angry, the tremble in his voice was more prominent and his voice always went an octave lower the usual.

"No, Thorin." I growled out in defiance. "Something like this cannot be held off until later."

"I don't...have time for this Dís." My brother growled out, his body tensing and I could feel my patience running thin.

"Dammit Thorin then make time!" I growled out, closing the gap between us as I stood beside my brother, reaching out and placing a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to look at me.

When his eyes met mine I could see the anger behind his eyes, and I could tell I may have overstepped some sort of boundary...but this was something of grave importance and at the moment I didn't care. He needed to hear this and dammit he was going to listen.

"What is it Dís!" Thorin yelled out, his voice echoing around the empty hall we were in. "I just want to be left alone!" Thorin then suddenly slunk back, his shoulders slumping and his gaze averted to the ground as his eyes were shadowed...and at this moment for the first time weeks I saw something other than anger coursing through his body.

I saw a broken king.

"I just want to be left alone..." Thorin mumbled in defeat, the hurt evident in his voice. I took my hand off his shoulder and placed it under his chin, gently forcing him to raise his head.

"This is something you must hear..." I begged Thorin sadly. "I know you are hurting brother...no matter how angry you get and no matter how much you tell me you are alright...I know you better than most and I know that you aren't alright. You are in pain and that you miss Belle..."

At the mention of our friends name I saw my brother flinch and his eyes immediately looked away from me. My brother was in more pain then he let on, but I was hoping that this news would lighten his mood just a bit...but I knew if I didn't say it soon then it would be too late if I waited.

"You must hear what I have to say..." I said. "you must hear what I heard the night before."

"What do you mean Dís?" My brother questioned with a bit of curiosity.

"I don't know what happened between you and Belle...but I can assume that it has something to do with the throne." I said causing my brother to look up at me in a bit of shock. Guess not everyone knew of this. "Last night...I was walking with Fili and Kili when we started to notice something was going on in the kingdom..."

* * *

_"It's such a beautiful night out." Dís commented as she walked down the hallway, her two sons following close behind._

_For you see, Dís began to notice that her sons were a little down in the weather. What happened between Thorin and Bellethiel seemed to have affected everyone. Her two boys have been attempting to speak to Bellethiel, but she seemed to have been keeping her distance from everyone. They had tried to ask her nephews and niece what was going on, but they even said that their mother wasn't speaking to them much either. The only time they ever spoke was when Bellethiel was assigning them certain jobs to do around the kingdom._

_Her sons were worried about their friend who they started to consider family, they worried about their uncle and sometimes their worry would keep them awake at night. So their mother thought it would be nice to take a walk through the kingdom late at night, to stare at the stars outside of the kingdom, or just relax without worrying about judging eyes and the hustle and bustle of the crowd._

_"Doesn't something seem kind of...off?" Kili questioned, glancing around the halls._

_"What do you mean Ki?" Fili asked his brother._

_They have been walking around for quite some time and it occurred to Kili that something was off...that something was missing. And for a while, Kili could not figure out what it was until now._

_"Aren't there usually elves walking through the halls at night?" Kili questioned. "They don't usually sleep, so most of the time you would see them walking around the kingdom doing more work that was assigned to them."_

_"Actually Kili..." Dís said now looking around as they began to walk around the corridors and came to face empty halls. "now that you mention it...where are our friends?"_

_The three kept on walking, the absence of their friends becoming more and more noticeable. They began to search the halls in the kingdom high and low, in the library's close to them and in the rooms that they had given to the elves to sleep in...all were empty with no signs of life._

_"Hey look." Kili said quietly as he motioned toward the very end of the hall. The family looked in the direction that Kili had pointed to to see two elves whispering to each other and quickly dart to the left, disappearing around the corner. "Let's follow them shall we?"_

_"Kili, wait!" Dís whispered as she tried to reach out to grab a hold of her son who was a bit too fast and slipped past his mother's hands. "Dammit Kili, come on Fili...let's follow your brother."_

_The two quickly followed after Kili, making sure to be extremely quiet. When they finally caught up with Kili, they made sure to stay far away from the elves to remain undetected, but close enough to follow._

_"We have to be quiet." Dís said to her sons as the crept along, making sure to hold their bodies close to the walls, and sticking to the shadows. "We need to find out what's going on."_

_They watched as the elves they were following slipped into one of the libraries that Dís knew no one went to and they became suspicious._

_"Why would they go in there..." Dís whispered to herself and once the double doors closed, they silently made their way toward the door and saw that the door was slightly a jarred. When Dís took a glance inside through the crack in the door she saw a bunch of elves crowded inside with Bellethiel standing at the very front._

_Dís turned back to her sons and held a finger to her lips, pointed to her ears and then to the door. This caused the two to nod their heads and the family listened quietly to what was being said inside the room._

_**"Thank you everyone for coming."** _ _Bellethiel called out, drawing everyone's attention to the front as the elves all around became silent._ _**"Now, I am sure everyone is wondering why exactly I have called you here at such short notice so late at night...but I found it urgent that I tell you this as soon as possible."** _

_Dís watched Bellethiel look around, everyone waiting patiently for their leader to continue._

_**"I am sad to inform you that after this kingdom is restored to the best of our abilities, and our assistance in Dale is no longer needed...we will be leaving this kingdom for good."** _ _Bellethiel stated causing the group to glance around to each other, talking amongst themselves. Fili and Kili began to shuffle a bit and Dís eagerly motioned for the two to quiet down, though she too was surprised at the sudden announcement._ _**"Settle down everyone please!"** _ _Bellethiel called out causing everyone in the room to settle down and cease their talking._

_**"Why do you say that Captain?"** _ _An elf called out curiously._

_**"I am sure you have already learned, but if you have not then my relationship with the King is no longer in...good standing I suppose you could say."** _ _Bellethiel informed._ _**"And I am sure you all can see that our presence here has bought about chaos and discord. With us being here...balance and order has been tipped. I was advised that if we are to leave then things would begin to settle and the order of this kingdom will begin to settle."** _

_'Advised?' Dís thought as she listened intently to what Bellethiel was saying. 'Is that why she broke things off with my brother? Was Belle threatened?'_

_**"Who advised you Nana...?"** _ _One of Bellethiel's nephews questioned causing Bellethiel to let out a sigh._

_**"Gamil, a council member of Thorin's, had spoken to me several months ago. He had bought to my attention these problems and more, and advised me that our presence here is causing problems amongst his people."** _ _Bellethiel informed._ _**"It was worse than any of us could have imagined."** _

_**"He had informed me...that if I were to continue my relationship with Thorin and if we all were to stay here...then Thorin would lose his throne."** _ _Bellethiel spoke out after several minutes of silence and that caused a large uproar throughout the elves in the library._

_'Gamil...how dare you.' Dís thought as she let out a silent growl. From her side she could feel her youngest son begin to thrash about, but when she turned to tell Kili to be quiet, she saw that Fili was already holding his younger brother in place with a hand held right over his mouth._

_'Bellethiel...' Dís thought, looking sadly to where Bellethiel was standing._

_**"It was I that chose to separate myself from Thorin, my reason is not for you to understand...but it was my choice to make."** _ _Bellethiel stated plainly._ _**"One part is done, and all that is left is for us to leave. To which...through this decision...I am hoping that order in this kingdom will ensure soon after."** _

_**"But why must we be threatened by a simple dwarf!"** _ _An elf yelled out._

_**"We all know how a kingdom is supposed to run...how a kingdom properly runs..."** _ _Bellethiel sighed sadly._ _**"the reason it is like this now is because we are here. Even if we believe we belong here...would we really be so selfish as to stay here and risk more problems for Thorin and our friends who have stuck by us?"** _

_An eerie silence settled around the group before Bellethiel spoke up once more._

_**"Our friends...the dwarves who we fought with and accepted us have been kind to us. Allowing us to stay here for so long and even they are undergoing fire for defending us."** _ _Bellethiel said._ _**"We can repay their kindness by leaving...giving them the peace they rightfully deserve."** _

_**"But...where would we go...?"** _

_**"After the battle at the gates of Erebor, in Dale I had spoken to Thranduil** _ _." Bellethiel answered the saddened elf who asked the question._ _**"He apologized for his actions all those years ago and had lifted our banishment. For those that wish to return back to our home then I am sure Lord Thranduil will welcome any with open arms. And as for those who do not wish to return, Lord Elrond back in Imladris still has a home for all of you as well. Everyone will still have a place to call home when we leave Erebor."** _

_'Bellethiel...' Dís thought saddened. 'we don't want you to leave...'_

_**"When do we leave...?"** _ _An elf questioned._

_**"Once everything is settled here...we will leave in the cover of night. Without a sound, without a trace...it will be like we were never here in the first place. I will personally thank Thorin and his people for allowing us to stay here for so long once restorations are finished. After, we will take our leave back home."** _ _Bellethiel stated._ _**"Everyone will know when the time to leave is."** _

_'Oh dear Bellethiel...I know why you're doing this…' Dís thought as she watched her friend and the one that her youngest son was smitten with talk with each other. 'but you could've come to us...maybe we could've done something about that troublesome dwarf...even if it looked like a lost cause.'_

_A shadow walked past the crack and the three dwarves stilled, holding their breath and hoped beyond hope that they weren't caught. Dís saw Bellethiel standing in front of the shadowed and she saw that the shadow was not letting Bellethiel pass._

_**"What is it now Tirananniel...?"** _ _Bellethiel questioned in defeat._

_**"Where will you go Bellethiel...?"** _ _The shadow, Tirananniel questioned._

_**"Wherever my niece and nephews decide to go."** _ _She stated causing Tirananniel to tense in her spot._

_**"I have the gift of foresight my friend."** _ _Tirananniel stated in an even tone._ _**"I cannot see where you are headed; you are neither in Greenwood or Imladris."** _

_**"I..."** _ _Bellethiel was about to speak before she let out a saddened sigh._ _**"I wish I could truthfully say that I wish to be where my niece and nephews would go..."** _

_**"But it's not truly where you wish to be** _ _." Tirananniel answered causing Bellethiel to nod her head._

_**"I love my...children."** _ _Bellethiel stated a bit awkwardly._ _**"I have watched over Beriohtarion and Balamaethor ever since my sister sailed to Valinor...but I think without me they will be fine. They are at an age where they can look after themselves now..."** _

_**"What will you do Bellethiel?"** _ _Tirananniel questioned._

_**"I will do as I have always done...travel around trying to find a place to settle."** _ _Bellethiel stated honestly._

_**"And what of Thorin?"** _ _Tirananniel questioned._

_**"I cannot stay here Tirananniel, I am sure you have already seen what would come about the longer all of us...the longer I stay here. Even if I wish I could stay here I cannot, and even if I settle in either Imladris or Greenwood...it would not be home."** _ _Bellethiel stated plainly._

_**"You wish to stay here."** _ _Tirananniel stated._

_**"I do indeed wish it, for it is where my heart lays."** _ _Bellethiel said as a small smile made its way to her face. Her face, Dís noticed, did not have the cold look she always held ever since she broke things off with her brother...it was a look she recognized. A look of longing and love over someone they still missed…a look that her brother had when he thought no one was around to see it. It was only later when Bellethiel began to chuckle sarcastically did her expression crack._ _**"But not everyone gets what they wish for...do they Tirananniel."** _

_Bellethiel reached around Tirananniel toward the door and the three dwarves on the other side of the door began to panic. The three quickly raced back the way they came from and they heard the double door being forced open the moment they rounded the corner, successfully remaining out of sight._

_The three didn't stick around to be caught and they quickly disappeared into Dís's room. All of them a bit shocked at what they had just found out._

* * *

"Gamil..." Thorin growled out in irritation as he placed both his hand on the ledge of the balcony and leaned forward, his jaw tensing in anger. "that wretched dwarf, I will have his head the next time I see him!"

"Thorin, you must relax." I urged as I placed a hand over his.

"How can I relax sister, this problem is his fault. He spoke to Bellethiel when it was none of his concern. He went behind my back, if anything the reason why order is tipping can be put on his shoulders. It's his fault that Belle and I..." Thorin's hand tightened underneath my own. "why does she always have to be so noble..."

"Because that's how she is..." I said with a slight smile. "she always feels the need to protect us...always thinking of others instead of herself..."

Thorin only smiled slightly, nodding in agreement before he sighed sadly.

"Thorin...Erebor is close to being restored. Dale only needs a few more adjustments to being made into a livable condition for the survivors...they are planning to leave Thorin..." I said sadly. "we will wake up one day and find them gone. We know where her kin are going to be...but I feel like once Bellethiel is gone there will be no way of knowing where she will be. Once she's gone...I fear that she would be gone forever..."

"I fear the same way as well..." Thorin agreed as the two of us stood in silence. "what am I to do Dís...if I were to confront Bellethiel knowing her she would still stick by her decision because it still stands that I will lose the throne by being with her."

"What if there was a way to show her you won't lose the throne?" I suggested.

"It's not as easy as it sounds." My brother replied. "The problem lies within my grandfather's counselors."

"Why don't you get rid of them?" I growled out. "I'm sure you can find others that would be suitable for the job...one that will accept our friends...who will accept Belle."

"I can't just tell them out of the blue that their service is no longer needed." Thorin said as he sighed. "I don't know what we can do...but I do know that I don't want to lose her."

"We'll think of something Thorin..." I said placing a hand on his arms.

"We must think of something fast..." Thorin mumbled. "time is not on our side I'm afraid..."

"My King. Lady Dís."

* * *

"My King. Lady Dís." A voice called out, bringing my sister's and I's attention to where it had come from.

A few of my counselors had interrupted me and my sister and I had seen that Gamil was the one who had spoken up.

"What is the matter?" I questioned, glaring right at Gamil who seemed to simply ignore my harsh stare.

"We are thinking of a day for your coronation my King." A different counsel mumbled. "Since our kin has all returned home safe and sound, and our kingdom is close to being restored that we should consider thinking of a date."

"Not to mention, you should hold an audience with everyone in the kingdom to bring our people together now that the thing that was bothering them is out of the picture." Gamil stated causing me to clench my fists at my side.

"What do you mean by that Gamil?" I questioned, my voice close to a growl, it took all of my strength to keep my cool when I knew what this dwarf had done.

"I mean no offense My King, I simply mean that well...everyone has heard what happened between you and Lady Bellethiel." Gamil stated a bit nervously. "Some didn't agree to such a union, and now that you two aren't...together I'm sure our kin need assurance that everything will be alright."

"I see." I stated plainly, taking a step forward to stand face to face with Gamil. "So Gamil, I know many of you disliked me being with Lady Bellethiel, but will you be alright if I were to ask them to stay even if Lady Bellethiel and I were not together once restoration to our kingdom is complete? After all, I do owe them a great deal for everything they've done for us."

I watched as Gamil tensed and the side of his lips twitched just a bit before he smiled back at me.

"Of course My King!" Gamil said cheerfully. "I wouldn't want them to leave, they've done much for us and for us to repay them by kicking them out of the kingdom...well that just seems quite rude on our part sire."

"I see..." I said in an even tone as I turned back to my sister who only had her eyes set on Gamil, her lips turned down in a frown and a fire blazing in her eyes. "since our kingdom is almost fully restored I will have everyone gathered in the Gallery of the Kings a week or two from now, all restorations should be complete by then. I will address our people then and we will announce the coronation."

"Aye My King." Gamil said with a smile.

"You all are dismissed." I said, motioning with my hand for them to leave.

Gamil and the rest of the counselors turned to go leaving only my sister and myself alone once more.

"My dear sister...I think I may have found a way to deal with my counselors, the residence in this kingdom and Bellethiel." I said with a mischievous smirk.

Dís turned her eyes to me and smiled as well, letting out a slight giggle.

"My, I haven't seen a smile like that in years." Dís commented. "And that glint in your eyes...I would say that you've been spending too much time around my boys."

I shook my head and smiled already coming up with a plan to put my counselors in their place.

"What have you got in mind brother?" My sister questioned.

"We'll need our friends first." I stated, walking forward to stand beside my sister.

"And then?" Dís questioned. "With that look in your eyes I can only assume you have a really ingenious plan in mind."

"It's simply really..." I said as I laced my hands behind me, staring out into the open space in front of me. "something that I think will put everything back in order…"


	12. What Say You?

_"Have you heard the good news?"_

_"No, but I've heard the bad news."_

_"Well I've heard the_ _good **and** the bad news."_

_"What news have you heard?"_

_"There will be a gathering in the Gallery of the Kings soon; I've heard that there will be a coronation announcement! Our King will take his place as rightful ruler."_

I took in a deep breath to calm my nerves, tightening my left hand on the wooden bow that I was holding; I glared at the circular target that was a fair distance away from me. I could feel the intricate carvings engraved in the bow, my right hand reaching to the quiver at my side, hovering over the set of arrows...flexing my fingers. I could see the kingdom slowly settling down...but the talk around the kingdom was louder than ever.

_"I've also heard that the King is no longer under the elf's spell."_

_"Probably got tired of the hairless creature."_

_"I feel so bad for our King...he deserves so much better."_

_"You mean they're no longer together?"_

_"Wait a second; is that good news or bad news?"_

_"Take it how you will."_

I took another deep breath and quickly took an arrow from the quiver, placing the back of the arrow on the bow string and notching it back in one fluid motion. I let my arrow fly...the damn thing hitting on the far end of the target, far from hitting the middle as I intended causing me to growl in irritation. I repeated the motion again and this time my arrow went sailing above the target. I was getting angry by the minute as I fired and more began to miss the mark, only hitting around the middle instead of right in the center.

_"You know what I also heard?"_

_"What have you heard?"_

_"I've heard that our King is planning something big."_

_"What could it be I wonder..."_

_"Maybe he plans to take a Queen?"_

I was down to my last bow in my quiver, so many having missed its mark. Some went over the target while some just kept hitting the outskirts of the middle ring. I gritted my teeth, grinding them together just a bit as I bought my last arrow up and notched it back as I glared at the offending target.

_"Could it be possible he has someone in mind to court?"_

_"Highly doubtful, our King doesn't seem to need a Queen."_

_"He needed a female elf."_

_"He's no longer with the elf, remember?"_

_"That's probably the best news of all."_

The last arrow hit the very center.

Out of all the arrows I had in my quiver, only one hit the middle ring. I lowered my head, clenched my hands at my side and I could feel my body shake in frustration. Though it wasn't because I missed my mark...it was part of the problem, but it was also because of the ridiculous gossip going about the kingdom. This was all so childish, being possibly the eldest here why did I have to deal with such childish behavior. The way they think, leeches looking for anything to gossip about...especially when it deals with me.

Has it been getting to me? I want to say no...it hasn't, but I would be lying. I spent years having people speak my name in secrecy, calling me a traitor...and it never affected me one bit. So why this...why are these dwarves affecting me so. No, their opinion didn't matter I was just letting it get to me...allowing it to get to me in my most vulnerable state. They weren't the only problem affecting me...it was the longing I was feeling. Longing for someone I couldn't be with...for someone I couldn't have.

'Thorin...'

I growled out and swiftly took the dagger that I had attached to my lower back and threw it with as much force as I could muster at the target. Putting all my anger, all my frustration, and my feelings behind the throw. The dagger splitting my arrow in half and embedding itself hilt deep into the target.

I couldn't hold it in any longer; I let out a yell in irritation, screaming at the top of my lungs to the sky...and then I stopped. I collapsed to the ground, my breathing uneven as I tried to get myself under control. My heart was in pain and I wish it would just stop.

* * *

Three elves watched the scene on the training field with heavy hearts. They couldn't handle just watching, but they had no other choice. What more could they do? Their Nana wouldn't talk to them...no matter how much they would try; their Nana wouldn't want to burden them with her problems, no matter how much they insisted that they would want to help.

She looked so held together the way she conducted herself, but it was at this moment when their Nana thought she was alone, that they had saw their parental figure at their most vulnerable point…that they saw her break down from all the pressure of holding it in. A bottle that had filled itself to the brim and now broke, unleashing a wave of emotions long kept inside.

Bellethiel let out a scream as she fell to her knees, her body shaking. Thenidiel was about to run to their Nana's side, but Beriohtarion stopped her by reaching around her waist, holding her in a tight grip, keeping his cousin from going any further.

"What are you doing?" Thenidiel questioned as she struggled in her cousins hold.

"It's no use..." Beriohtarion commented sadly, watching as his mother suffered alone. "no matter how much we try...she won't confide in us. If anything, if we go there now...it'll only convince her to hide her pain away where no eyes can see. Because if we can catch her at her weakest when she's tried too hard to hide her pain, who else can catch her as well."

"We did that before..." Balamaethor mumbled. "the days after we arrived in Imladris, when she was upset...she would go to her room or somewhere no one knew about. Silently dealing with whatever was bothering her alone and the next…she was gone. It's the whole; I need to stay strong for my family thing I suppose one could call it."

"She wouldn't want us to see her this way..." Beriohtarion mumbled as he held his cousin close to his body to keep her still. "stop struggling please...you won't be able to break out."

Thenidiel let out a frustrated huff before ceasing her struggles as she just stood in her cousin's grasp and slumped a bit in defeat. Beriohtarion reached up with his free arm and patted his cousin on the head before letting go.

Approaching footsteps caught the elves ears as the three turned in the direction it was coming from to see Lady Dís running their way.

"I heard a scream, did something happen?" Dís questioned with concern as she approached the three elves.

"Nothing dangerous Lady Dís..." Beriohtarion said with a shake of his head. "it's just...well..."

Beriohtarion moved aside to show Dís the scene on the training field.

"No one was in trouble, but our Nana is having a bit of a problem..." Balamaethor mumbled sadly. "sorry to worry you Lady Dís..."

"What's with the formalities?" Dís questioned with some slight humor hoping to lighten up the mood.

"We just thought...with the circumstances between Nana and Thorin...it wouldn't be appropriate to not add honorifics..." Balamaethor said scratching the back of his head.

"Nonsense, don't worry about adding anything to my name...Dís is fine with you three." Dís said with a smile. "How's Belle holding up?"

"Not too good I'm afraid..." Thenidiel sighed sadly. "she says she's fine...she tries to act like she's fine. But behind closed doors and away from everyone else? Well, if how's she's acting on the training field is anything to go by...then I would say she's not doing too well..."

Thenidiel took a step forward, looking out at the training field with concern as she watched her Nana go and retrieve all the arrows she had shot that missed the target.

"I think being in the kingdom and hearing all the new gossip coming about is really getting to Nana..." Thenidiel added in with a shake of her head. "it's ridiculous really..."

"Things will get better..." Dís said in assurance. "I'm promise it will..."

"I really hope so your highness..." Beriohtarion said sadly. Looking a bit bashful when Dís looked up to stare at him after he had addressed her as such. "Sorry...Dís."

* * *

Several weeks went by, all of us were doing our part to make sure that we did all that we could to make sure Erebor was safe and secure for everyone to live in. Any furniture and decor would be left to Thorin and the dwarves; it has come to a point where we weren't needed anymore.

I was walking through the halls early in the morning in search of Thorin.

I had found him in the company of Balin, Dwalin and Dís. I was a bit hesitant to approach, I have not spoken to the company, Thorin or his family in weeks after the separation...do I dare approach them? What would I say? It would be too awkward to not use formalities...but for a couple years I've just been calling them by their name. I can't turn around though...I needed to show them our gratitude, if we were to leave without so much as saying how much we appreciate their hospitality we would be considered rude.

Though the closer I got to the group...I could feel myself slowly edging to turn around and leave. I could always come back another time.

"Belle?"

Dís, she was the first to notice me as I got closer to the group. Her voice bought the other dwarves attention to me and I could feel myself tense the closer I got.

"I have been looking for you...King Thorin." I said as smoothly as I could, feeling a bit uncomfortable at suddenly using formalities.

"Is everything alright lass?" Dwalin questioned.

I stood tall as I looked down at the group of dwarves and cleared my throat.

"Nothing is wrong Master Dwalin; I am simply here to say that any of the restorations that I have assigned my kin have been carried through. Erebor is now well enough on its way to being back to its former glory. All that is left is the decor, and other minor issues that can be left in your hands…though I am sure you already have everything planned out." I said, mustering as much of a smile as I could.

"Belle...why the niceties. I think we have long since passed that, wouldn't you agree?" Balin questioned sadly.

"I..." I took a deep breath and looked around before looking back to Balin, giving a sad smile. "you never know who is listening around here Master Balin, I have been the talk of the kingdom for a while...I do not want to give them anymore reason to talk about me, or you."

"Bellethiel..."

"I have also come to express my sincere gratitude for allowing us to stay so long in your kingdom your highness. You did not have to, but you opened your kingdom to us and allowed us to stay while we helped out around the kingdom...and for that all of us elves are thankful and really appreciate your kindness." I said as if I was reciting from a book. "We are deeply sorry for all the trouble we have caused due to our stay. I do hope you can forgive us."

I saw Dís reach out to Thorin, clutching the sleeve of his coat and I saw what looked to be slight panic in her eyes...though where it came from and what it's for I did not know.

"Thank you...Lady Dís, Master Dwalin, Master Balin, and...King Thorin for your gracious hospitality. I do not know how we can repay you for opening your home to us...but I hope that helping around the kingdom was a good start." I said with a small forced smile as I bowed from the waist to the royal family. "I am sorry to bother you, I shall take my leave."

"Bellethiel."

I froze in place; my back was to the group of dwarves when I heard the one voice that hadn't spoken speak up. I didn't turn to look back; I simply muttered a small response and waited for him to continue...I haven't heard him speak my name in what felt like ages. I didn't even realize how much I longed for him to say my name once more until he opened his mouth to address me...it will be something that will haunt my existence when we take our leave. I am happy to have heard him say my name once more.

"I believe it is considered rude to have your back to the King when he is speaking." Thorin's spoke out slowly.

I bit my bottom lip in slight irritation, I would lose this struggle...I hated being rude when it comes to anything and everything. I slowly turned back around and looked to Thorin. He remained expressionless, stoic, his arms crossed over his chest and his jaw was tense as if he were angry about something...which from what I did it's understandable.

"Yes my King?" I questioned, waiting expectantly for him to reply.

Thorin looked like he wanted to say something, debating about something in his head before he quickly shook his head and raised his hand to dismiss me.

"Never mind, it's not of import." Thorin stated and I quickly nodded my head.

"Have a good day your highness." I said as I took my leave.

* * *

'Where is everyone?' I thought as I swiftly walked through deserted hallways toward the library where I expected all the elves to be. Though everywhere I went, there were no signs of dwarves anywhere. 'There's not a sign of life anywhere...'

I made my way to the library and slowly pushed open the door. There was a fair amount of elves that were already gathered in the area, all talking amongst themselves...though the moment that I entered all talking stopped and eyes turned in my direction.

I nodded for them to continue as I made my way to where Tirananniel and Mellimeldisiel were standing.

"Hello Belle." Mellimeldisiel greeted with a smile and I only nodded in greeting as I turned to Tirananniel.

"I hope that everyone knows that today is the day." I said with a straight face.

"Everyone is ready to leave." Tirananniel nodded with a smile on her face, though why she was smiling I did not ask. There was other matters to attend to.

"Then we will leave in the cover of night." I said looking down at my feet. "I already spoke to Thorin and thanked him for his hospitality..."

I turned to look at the group and saw Tauriel approaching us.

"Tauriel..." I mumbled, looking to the red head elf sadly. "have you figured out what you plan to do?"

"I have..." Tauriel said with a nod. "I'm going to follow you when you leave tonight."

"Are you sure?" I questioned a bit in shock.

"I'm sure..." Tauriel mumbled. "as hard as it's going to be...we don't belong here. And even if I were to stay here with Kili...there would be no peace for him and his family and I cannot do that to such nice people because I decided to be selfish."

"So, what's the plan?" Mellimeldisiel questioned.

"Once everyone is asleep we will leave the kingdom, sneak around Dale to not get noticed, and head toward Mirkwood." I said as the four of us stood close together in a circle. "Once in Mirkwood we will make our way to Thranduil's realm and stay there until morning, anyone who plans to stay in Mirkwood will stay while we make our way to Imladris. The journey there will be long, so I am hoping that Thranduil will be gracious enough to provide us with supplies for the long journey ahead."

The four of us kept on talking, making plans, jotting a good and safe path for us to take to Mirkwood and Imladris for a good amount of time, lost in our own conversation.

We were all caught by surprise when the double doors to the library slammed open making a loud banging noise. A frazzled looking Kili and Fili barged into our gathering looking around in fear before Kili's eyes caught my own.

"Belle!" Kili called out in a panic as him and his brother pushed their way through the elves to make their way to me.

"What is the matter Fili and Kili?" I questioned as soon as they were standing in front of me.

"Belle..." Kili gasped, bending over and placing his hands on his legs, taking in deep breathes.

"Breath Kili, and then tell me what is wrong." I said with concern as I stepped toward them.

"It's bad Belle." Fili said being the first to catch his breath.

"What's wrong?" Tauriel questioned, coming to stand by my side.

"The kingdom..." Kili said through gasps. "the kingdom is under attack!"

"Under attack?" Tauriel questioned suspiciously. "I never heard such a thing…no word going about the kingdom?"

"Neither did I..." I mumbled, looking down at the two dwarves suspiciously, crossing my arms across my chest.

"There was a group of people that snuck into the kingdom; we don't know who they are..." Kili said in a panic. "we got word that they were planning to assassinate uncle!"

"Kill the King?" I questioned in alert. "That would've been the talk of the kingdom if there were people who snuck in with the intent to kill the King."

"Dwalin had ushered uncle to somewhere safe, and everyone else has been escorted into the Gallery of the Kings." Fili answered. "There are guards stationed around the openings and I think uncle is about to address everyone to cease their panicking...we're trying to figure out who the intruders are."

"We need your help Belle." Kili mumbled in fear. "Someone may try and kill uncle...and they may be among the people in the Gallery..."

When I didn't say anything Kili stepped forward and took a firm hold on the sleeve of my tunic, tugging it hard in the direction of the double doors.

"Uncle maybe in trouble! We have to hurry!" Kili yelled out in a panic.

I gritted my teeth, a bit suspicious...but I had no other choice. If it was indeed true and someone was threatening the life of Thorin then I will not take any chances. We may not be together, but I will not stand by as someone plans to kill Thorin. So long as I'm around the King will be safe.

"Follow me." I called out urgently to everyone in the room, making a run to the door and in the direction of the Gallery with everyone else following close behind.

"Tauriel." I said as she came to a stop beside me. "There is another way to the Gallery; if there is indeed a group who poses a threat to the King on the loose then we will block both sides. If they do intend to escape then we will have the major exits blocked off. Take a group and head in the other direction; we will meet up in the Gallery."

"Yes Captain." Tauriel said, motioning toward half of the group that was following behind us as she took out her sword. _"Aphado nin (Follow me)!"_

 _"Tolo (Come)!"_ I called out to those that were left as I unsheathed my sword and took off in the direction of the Gallery.

The double doors on my side were closed the moment we got there, I couldn't hear anything on the other side and I began to worry.

'No sound...not even whispers...' I thought as I bought my sword up and prepared to barge in. I looked behind me to one of the elves who nodded back to me and I pushed the doors open, preparing to attack.

However, I was not prepared for what was behind the doors.

I slowly lowered my sword back to my side as I looked around the room to see hundreds of dwarves gathered around. At the very front I could see Thorin, Dís, and Dáin standing together along with Thorin's counselors and some of the company. There didn't seem to be any sign of danger or panic and I was...confused.

'What's going on here...' I thought as I moved further into the room. We were standing at the very back so we didn't interrupt much and I looked in front of me to see Tauriel had also came in as well with her group, equally confused as me at scene in front of us.

"Bellethiel..." Tauriel whispered as soon as the two of us met in the middle. "what's going on here?"

"I have no clue..." I whispered back as I looked around and saw something else that surprised me. "Lord Thranduil? Bard?"

Bard turned fully in my direction while Thranduil, who was standing beside Bard, only took a glance at me over his shoulder. The two nodded their heads in greeting as Tauriel and I went over quietly to stand beside the Lords.

"What is going on here?" I questioned as I looked straight to the front.

"I don't know." Thranduil stated plainly. "Thorin had asked us to attend this gathering, but gave no reason why. We're about as in the dark as you are."

"Wouldn't you know Bellethiel?" Bard questioned curiously. "I mean...with you being with Thorin, he would tell you everything."

"Not together anymore..." I whispered back and I could see Bard shuffle nervously beside me.

"I'm sorry...I didn't know." Bard apologized and I simply shook my head and smiled at him.

"There is no need to apologize." I said as I saw Fili and Kili join their mother at the front and I couldn't help but glare ever so slightly. "What are you up to..."

"Shhh." One of the dwarves in front of us said, placing a finger to his lips as he glared at us.

"Thank you everyone for coming here today." Thorin's voice echoed around the room as he addressed everyone that had attended this gathering. "There have been rumors going about the kingdom and this gathering is to squash anything that you have heard. Also, some business that I would like to take care of that has gotten out of control as of late."

I listened intently as Thorin spoke out. I felt someone place their hand on my shoulder and I looked over behind me to see my niece and nephews along with Mellimeldisiel and Tirananniel standing there and I took a step back to stand among them.

"Care to tell me what this is all about Tirananniel?" I questioned curiously.

"I have no idea my friend." Tirananniel answered, but I could clearly hear a slight smugness in her voice...she knew what this was about but didn't want to tell me.

"I know things have been out of control these past several months, and I've heard many have been questioning my role as your King. It greatly disturbs me that you have little faith in me, after the dragon took our home my only concern was the wellbeing of my people...your wellbeing is what I look out for and I will always think about what is best for everyone in this kingdom. No matter what, I will always look out for the safety and happiness of everyone here...and I had hoped that you would return that gesture." Thorin spoke out, his face remaining stoic as ever. "We have our home back, and our kingdom will be back to the way it used to be, no...it will be better then what it used to be. I am sure of it."

I watched as Thorin sighed before his eyes looked out into the sea of people in front of him.

"It also disturbs me of your hatred toward our elvish friends who have been staying with us these past several months. I know many of you wish to run our friends out of this kingdom...but they deserve to be here as much as we do. They have done much for us that none of you know about and maybe...once you know you will see things in a different light." Thorin spoke out. I saw Gamil and a few of the counselors take a step toward Thorin and I saw the company blocking their path, mostly Dwalin blocking their path as Thorin kept on talking. "When I first started this journey, Gandalf the Grey had invited an elf to assist us in reclaiming the mountain. I despised having an elf join in our quest; I wanted nothing more than to be rid of her. But as the journey unfolded, every turn we made she had proved me wrong about elves...she was loyal through and through. And on this journey I found out something interesting about our elvish friends that bear the piercings in their ear, one that I thought was simply a story and nothing more."

I shuffled a bit uncomfortably; I didn't know where this gathering was going...I was curious, but suspicious. I could feel my friends staring at me, knowing full well of whom Thorin spoke about.

"If you were to hear their story, then you would think it but a fairy tale as well, but me and the company learned that everything they did was indeed true." Thorin spoke out. "This elf you have been speaking so illy about has done something that changed the course of Middle-Earth according to her friend...and I wish for her to speak about it now."

Thorin suddenly glanced in my direction, his eyes holding my own as he gestured with his hand for me to come forward. Many eyes followed the direction of their King, many eyes began to stare at me...waiting for me to react and in response I stood to my full length and made my way through the crowd of dwarves. Everyone began to part as soon as I got close enough to them and they made a path from me to where the royal family was standing. There were whispers and mumbling among the dwarves, curious as to why this was happening and some were just watching me as I went by.

When I finally reached the bottom of the steps I made my way to Thorin who was on the elevated area and leaned down to whisper so only he could hear.

"What is the meaning of this Thorin..." I mumbled quietly, not bothering using honorifics this time around.

Thorin gave no indication that he was going to respond, he simply looked at me and then back to the crowd in front of him.

"Bellethiel, please tell everyone gathered here this evening why you could not return back to Greenwood the day the dragon Smaug took the Lonely Mountain." Thorin spoke out.

"Thorin, I want answers." I stated with a glare as Thorin looked back to me, glaring back as well.

"I wanted answers as well, but you wouldn't give them to me." Thorin growled back.

"I gave you answers!" I growled down at the dwarf.

"Yes, but it wasn't the truth now was it." Thorin retaliated before raising his voice once more for everyone in the Hall to hear. "Now, why couldn't you return back to Greenwood."

I gritted my teeth before turning to look at the crowd.

"Myself and those that followed me were banished from Greenwood by Lord Thranduil." I spoke out by Thorin's side. "Our banishment was handed to us when I decided to return to the mountain to assist any dwarves that were still trapped inside."

"What did you lose that day?" Thorin questioned.

'Thorin...' I thought in irritation as I gritted my teeth. "I lost the trust of my Lord, my home, and...a trusted friend, loyal comrade, and beloved family member...my brother."

Thorin gestured for someone to step forward and I saw a dwarf step forward from the crowd. He wasn't an old looking dwarf, but he didn't look young either...he didn't look familiar to me at all but he smiled at me like an old friend would when greeting someone they haven't seen in years.

"Hello Frár," Thorin greeted as the dwarf with what looked to be a mohawk slick back hair bowed to his King and smiled back at me. "thank you for volunteering to speak up today."

"It's not a problem my King. I'm happy to help any way I can." Frár said before turning to the crowd. "I'm no one special, my name is Frár, and I was just a kid when Erebor was attacked by the dragon. Time has aged me into a fine strong dwarf with a family of my own, but you have not changed one bit since that faithful day." Frár turned to glance at me as his smile dimmed just a bit, his eyes looking sadly up at me. "I was trapped inside the mountain with my mother and my father; I was huddled by my mother while listening to the loud roar coming from the treasure room. I was afraid, and even though my mother kept assuring me that we would get out safely, many of the others seemed to have lost all hope of getting out of the kingdom." Frár then looked happily out into the crowd in front of us. "But, something happened that gave everyone hope once more, it was as if Mahal had answered our prayers and sent us a blessing. Two elves clad in golden armor entered our room having heard my father and another dwarf arguing. They urged us to leave the room and that they would escort us safely out of the kingdom. We, the children, were terrified to move, so the male and female elf carried us children on their backs and we all left the kingdom safely."

Frár paused a bit and looked down at his feet before continuing.

"We were the last group to exit the kingdom according to the female elf, but our relief was short lived. Myself and another were thrown off the male elf, and before we could register what happened..." Frár took a glance back at me. "You came and blocked our view from what happened and ushered us away. At that time I didn't understand what was going on, it was only until I was a little bit older and had time to think did I realize that the male elf that had carried us out of the burning kingdom had passed away...he was your brother wasn't he?" Frár looked back up at me sadly with a small smile. "The very next day we were all escorted safely to a village far from the mountain and when we were settled into the village we never saw the elves again. Everything was paid for, at least enough so we could recover for a couple months after such an ordeal. It was enough time for us to recover, settle, and make a living for ourselves. But I remember being out late at night, I was coming back from helping a family friend, and at first I thought my mind was playing tricks on me and I was just tired. But I could've sworn I saw someone standing at the edge of the woods looking in on us as if to make sure we were okay."

Frár walked up the steps and held his hand out to me and I reached out to clasp his hands with my own. Frár shook my hand enthusiastically and I couldn't help but smile.

"I will never forget your face my dear." Frár said happily. "If it wasn't for you...my family wouldn't have made it out of the kingdom. I'm happy I get the chance to thank you for what you did that day. I probably wouldn't be here talking to you if it wasn't for you and your kin."

"I apologize for not recognizing you Frár; you were only a child then." I said with a smile. "I do hope that you had a peaceful time growing up in the village."

"It was hard, but we were alive thanks to you. And now thanks to you…we have our home back. I can raise my children in the kingdom I was raised in." Frár said as he turned to look back to Thorin. "I do hope I was of some help my King."

Thorin nodded his head before politely dismissing Frár who bowed once more and went back into the crowd.

"What is the meaning of this my King?" Gamil's voice called out.

"I am making a point." Thorin stated plainly. "Almost everyone in this room is guilty of speaking illy of Bellethiel and her kin and I should have addressed this long ago before it got out of hand. Not only has Bellethiel, her kin, and her friends done much for all of us. But Bellethiel and her nephews have done much for my family as well. Unknown to most...the battle for the mountain against Azog and his army, my nephews and me were supposed to die that day...and only Bellethiel knew of our fate." Thorin's eyes turned to slits as he took a glance to his counselors. "The elf you speak so badly about almost lost her life after successfully saving mine and my nephews' life. If it weren't for her and her nephews...I wouldn't be standing here speaking to you right now and my sister would be without her sons."

Subconsciously I had reached up to place a hand on my side after feeling intense pain flare up. I know my wound had completely healed yet I couldn't understand why at the mention of that day my side started to ache.

"Believe me or not, that is your choice. I have given you proof of what Bellethiel and her kin has done for us, me and my nephews can tell you how close we were to death's door...and it was thanks to them intervening that we were saved." Thorin spoke out. "I hope that after this gathering you are more accepting toward our friends, they do not deserve the treatment you have given them these past several months."

I watched as the dwarves turned to the person that was close to them and began whispering amongst one another. Though in most of the dwarves in the room I had seen something different in their eyes when they turned to look at me. They weren't glaring, they weren't judgmental or angry...they seemed shocked and grateful I suppose that was. Hearing it from elves I suppose was not worth trusting...but coming from a dwarf, from their own kin, that would sound more promising.

"Gamil." Thorin called out, motioning with his hand for the said dwarf to take a step forward.

"Yes your highness?" Gamil questioned nervously, taking a step forward but not before taking a quick glance my way.

"Bellethiel, her kin and her friends will stay here." Thorin stated plainly.

"Thorin..." I spoke up, but Thorin held his hand up causing me to keep my mouth shut.

"Would that be a problem Gamil?" Thorin questioned, his eyes set on Gamil and the other counselors. "You may be my grandfather's counselors, but it's taken me months to realize that your purpose is to lead me on the right path, but in the end the decision is mine. I do not enjoy meetings behind my back, and it will not be tolerated in the future."

"I do not know what you mean sire..." Gamil said as I saw him shuffle nervously.

"Don't lie to me Gamil, I know of your meeting with Bellethiel. Let me make myself clear and let this be a lesson to you and the rest of the councils. I know you thought it was for the best, but I suggest you keep it to yourself." Thorin said with a glare. "I am happy that you are helping me as you had helped my grandfather, but if I have to I will replace you and any who disagree. I will keep my throne and Bellethiel, her kin and her friends are staying if they wish to stay is that understood Gamil."

Gamil looked a bit hesitant and nervous as he shuffled a bit from side to side, a bit afraid to look back to Thorin.

"Yes...your highness." Gamil mumbled. "No disagreement here..."

"Please, as your King, I hope that you all can see how great our elvish friends are...how much they have done for us." Thorin spoke out to his people. "It may seem hard at first, I know it was hard for some in my company to accept an elf, but in time she became a good friend to many, a great ally...and to me something more..."

I heard the sadness in his voice as he mumbled the last part to himself. I looked down to Thorin and felt immense guilt when I saw the expression on his face. If it was at all possible, the time apart from each other had aged him...or it could be a trick of the eye. I wonder if I looked just as bad. I wanted to reach out and place a hand on his shoulder in comfort, but instead I took a step back and joined the rest of the company, sending a small glare at Fili and Kili who I ended up standing in between. The two dwarves averted their eyes and I could see them feigning innocence.

"If I, my kin and my company could get along with an elf...then in time you all will to." Thorin said. "If anyone disagrees with our friends, then step forward and say what you wish."

Surprisingly, no one stepped forward. It took me by surprise and from what I could see; it took all the elves present in this room by surprise as well. But...they could also be too afraid to speak up.

"There will be a celebratory feast," Balin said as he took a step forward, the biggest smile I have ever seen on the elder dwarfs face. "for the crowning of our King and something else that our King wishes to announce himself."

"Rumors spread, and do not be fooled in thinking that it would never reach our ears." Thorin said. "I don't understand where the rumor of me taking on a Queen came from, but I would like to address it now."

I tensed in my spot and prepared myself to leave only for hands to clamp on both of my arms holding me in place.

"What are you doing..." I whispered as I bent to the two Princes level.

"Keeping you from leaving!" Fili growled back quietly.

"I do not want to hear this..." I mumbled, carefully removing both his and his brother's hand from my arms.

"You must listen!" Kili glared up at me.

"I do not need to listen to anything!" I growled out, looking down sadly. "I do not want to hear it..."

"Bellethiel."

I stopped arguing with the two Princes after hearing my name being called. I stood up straight and saw Thorin motioning for me to step back at his side.

"What was he saying...?" I questioned down to Fili.

"We would know if you had just stopped talking and listened." Fili mumbled with a slight chuckle. "Go, uncle's waiting..."

I hesitantly walked up to Thorin and went to stand beside him, looking nervously out into the crowd and then back to Thorin.

"What are you doing Thorin..." I whispered quietly.

"If you had stopped arguing with my nephews you would've heard what I was saying." Thorin mumbled with a slight smile that only confused me more. "You have failed to be truthful and because you had to be the noble one, you did something you didn't have to do. I did this today to show that I am going to keep my throne, no matter what my counselors say." Thorin reached out and took my hand in his. "Everyone in this kingdom knows now what you've done and I believe they will one day accept you, your kin and your friends."

He took a step forward, standing so close to my body and only leaving an inch or so between us.

"I ask you this in front of everyone gathered here today...rule by my side Bellethiel." Thorin said with a small smile. "Don't mind the talk of the kingdom, it shouldn't matter what anyone says, it's our lives Bellethiel, our happiness not theirs."

"Thorin...I-" I looked a bit nervous as all eyes were looking at the two of us, everyone as silent as possible.

"Bellethiel, it's time for your own happiness don't you think?" Thorin questioned. "My beloved, my **azyungal** (love of all loves), will you give me the honor and the joy of being your husband? Let me be your King, rule by my side...it would make me the happiest dwarf in all of Middle Earth."

My heart thumped wildly against my chest almost threatening to bust, I couldn't breathe, and I felt like I could faint at any moment. What was I to say? Not once in my life did I ever expect to fall in love let alone ask to be courted...words were lost to me.

"Thorin..." I gasped out as I felt something wet run down my cheeks. I reached up with my free hand, touched the side of my eye and to my shock I was crying. 'why would I be crying?'

"I believe the answer is 'yes' Nana!" A voice called out from the very back, a voice that belonged to Balamaethor.

I took a glance to see my nephews, my niece, and my friends smiling in our direction along with Bard and Lord Thranduil who seemed to have a little smirk playing on their lips. But what surprised me the most was that most of the dwarves present were smiling as well, some looked displeased...shocked, but the positive outweighed the negative so to speak.

I couldn't help but smile fondly down at the dwarf King before opening my mouth and giving him an answer.

* * *

The dining hall hadn't held this many people in ages, at least that's what I was told. The last time this place had a large gathering was when they were celebrating their victory after the battle in front of the gates of Erebor...one that me and my nephews couldn't be a part of.

Now, we were a part of a huge and what could be considered an out of control party. But...it was something worth celebrating I suppose.

Everyone was laughing, cheering, drinking, singing merry songs, and dancing in the isles or on the tables...some even moving the tables around to create a dance floor. Everyone was having fun and letting loose...it was a great sight to see.

I was sitting at the very front watching my nephews having a drinking contest once more with Dwalin, Gloin and Frár. My niece was with Bard's kids who I failed to notice had tagged along with their father; they were clapping and dancing with Fili and Kili, who had tugged Tauriel to join in. Something else that surprised me was how well Bard, Dáin and Lord Thranduil were getting along...they were even laughing about something that I didn't care to know about.

A hand clasping onto mine bought me back to the present. I looked to my left and smiled, squeezing the hand back.

"Quite a party." I commented as I leaned in close for him to hear. "Dwarves truly know how to throw a memorable one."

"It's a joyous occasion, and something worth going a bit overboard for." Thorin said as he reached over and placed a strand of hair behind my ear. "You don't plan to back out now do you?"

"With what I said in front of the kingdom, I would like to think you are stuck with me for a long time." I said with a smile.

"Don't do that again Bellethiel." Thorin scolded with a slight glare, his eyes as serious as ever. "I don't think my heart can take it again..."

"I cannot tell you how sorry I am Thorin..." I smiled sadly to Thorin. "I hope I can make it up to you one day."

Thorin smiled as he leaned forward, his lips close to mine before a loud voice echoing around the kingdom interrupted our little moment.

The two of us turned in the direction of the voice to see Balin with his mug held firmly in his grasp.

"I am happy to be the first to say! A toast to our King who I know will lead us to a bright future!" Balin said loudly with a fond smile. "And congratulations to the joining of King Thorin and our future Queen...Bellethiel. I wish you many years of happiness and good fortune to come."

Everyone in the kingdom raised their cups high into the air, yelling and cheering...though I could only blush a bit at the attention.

"I'm happy that you're here." Thorin whispered in my ear. "I had hoped that the next time we celebrate like this...you would be here smiling and enjoying the festivities with me."

"I am indeed enjoying the festivities." I said with a smile. "I am looking forward to your coronation."

"Our coronation." Thorin corrected. "Let us not forget you are going to be Queen soon."

I smiled at Thorin and lifted my own cup to him. "To our future together."

Thorin smiled as he leaned forward and placed his lips upon my own.

Our first kiss after being apart for a while...and I know for sure that there will be many more to come.


	13. The King and Queen

" _Here you go Belle." Bilbo said as I saw him holding two mugs of what looked like steaming cups of tea._

" _Thank you Bilbo." I smiled at the hobbit that handed me one of the cups and sat down in his big red chair that was situated opposite of me._

" _I still can't believe that you're a Queen now!" Bilbo exclaimed, still a bit in shock as he took a sip from his cup. "And you're a mother!"_

" _It has been years since the coronation and our wedding that I still cannot believe it myself." I said as I blew into the cup in an attempt to cool the tea. "I feel like it is all but a dream and that I could wake up at any moment."_

" _Who would've thought that by setting off on a simple journey to reclaim a mountain, it would lead you here." Bilbo smiled fondly. "We started off as two outsiders traveling with a group of dwarves. Though…being an outsider wasn't so bad. I got to befriend an elf who understood not being wanted at the time being."_

_Bilbo and I shared a laugh as we remembered the journey to Erebor, how it all started in this little hobbit hole._

" _You've come a long way since the beginning of the journey." Bilbo commented._

" _Both of us have come a long way dear Bilbo." I said with a small smile. "Let us not forget that it was because of you that the dwarves got their home back. You became a good and cherished friend of the family."_

_Bilbo smiled, placing his hands in his lap as he relaxed at the silence in the room; well…it was sort of silent for behind us in another part of cozy home we could hear loud laughter and cheering from the rest of the company._

" _Oh how I missed this Belle…" Bilbo said with a fond smile. "at the beginning I thought it was such a nuisance…but when I returned everything was just so…quiet."_

" _Gandalf was right when he said things would not be the same, I can tell you that much. I have seen and experienced so many things my dear friend that I am far from the elleth that I once was." I smiled sadly to Bilbo. "You just have to keep your mind busy sometimes."_

" _I hope you come and visit when you can." Bilbo said. "I know it can't be often since the journey from Erebor to here is so long…but I don't want this to be the last time I ever see you or anyone in the company."_

" _I will try and visit any chance I get." I assured Bilbo. "This will not be the last you see of me, my family, or the company. Granted, as the years go by Thorin may be buried in his duties as King…but I was hoping we could come visit around your birthday. That way you would not have to be alone on such a special day." I chuckled before winking. "As Queen, it would be bad to travel alone without any guards, but I am no ordinary Queen. I did not start off as a royal, but a warrior."_

_Bilbo chuckled before some commotion happened in the room next to ours that caused the two of us to glance in the direction of the noise._

_I watched as Thorin was holding both Antien and Frerin apart. My two boys looked to be arguing with each other while Thorin was in the middle, keeping them from getting at each other…though what they were fighting about I did not know. Estelwen was being carried by Tauriel who was making her way toward us._

" _What is going on out there?" I chuckled as I reached for Estelwen who looked to be peacefully sleeping. Tauriel carefully placed my youngest child in my arms, my daughters head tucked under my chin as I closed my arms around her protectively, holding her close. My reaction caused Estelwen to cuddle further into me before settling down, light snores emitting from her._

" _Frerin felt something being thrown at his head, which was later found out to be food and blamed his brother." Tauriel mumbled as she looked at Estelwen and me. I shook my head and laughed a bit before Tauriel excused herself and possibly went to find Kili._

_I watched fondly as Thorin got our two sons under control, knelt down in front of them and began to calmly talk to them. Frerin and Antien looked down sadly before I saw Frerin mumble something to Antien that caused Thorin to smile at our boys. He reached out and patted the two on the head before the two smiled and disappeared into another room, a room that suddenly was filled with laughter from both Fili and Kili._

" _Shall we continue our conversation another time?" Bilbo questioned quietly while looking at the tiny bundle in my arms. I shook my head as I bought my little girl closer to me._

" _Once Estelwen is out, she will sleep until the next day." I said as I placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Loud noises do not bother her; she will wake up when she wants to or sleep the night away. She is really a complete opposite from her brothers."_

" _Your family is absolutely lovely." Bilbo commented with a smile. "I'm happy for you Belle, truly I am. You deserve it."_

" _What are you two talking about?"_

_I looked behind Bilbo to see Thorin standing right behind his chair; the voice had startled poor Bilbo. Thorin chuckled a bit as clasped his hand on Bilbo's shoulder as he walked past him and made his way to my side._

" _I was just complimenting your family. They are very lovely." Bilbo said as he smiled to Thorin, causing the dwarf King to nod his head in thanks._

" _We were talking about what we have been up to these past ten years." I said as Thorin placed a kiss to the side of my head. "Is everything alright out there? Is there anything I can do?"_

" _Everything is fine." Thorin assured. "Rest, you do too much as it is."_

" _ADAD!"_

" _Thorin." Balin called out, poking his head into our room. "Either you or Belle is needed."_

" _Here, I shall talk to them." I offered as I carefully tried to get up from my chair without jostling the little girl in my arms awake._

" _Sit Bellethiel." Thorin ordered as he placed his hand on my shoulder. "I'll go see what's wrong, rest please."_

_I smiled at his protectiveness and obliged to his request, resting back in the chair as I watched the back of Thorin as he walked out of the room._

" _You two seem more in love than the last I had seen you." Bilbo commented after a few moments of silence after Thorin left the room._

" _Really?" I questioned as I thought back to when Bilbo had last seen Thorin and myself together. "I suppose so…"_

" _So, aside from becoming Queen and the children, what else has happened?" Bilbo asked._

" _My duties have not changed, well…not very much I suppose." I said with a smile. "Along with the duties that come along with being a Queen, my duties are still the same as it was when I was serving under Thranduil."_

" _What do you mean by that?" Bilbo said with a smile._

" _I am still the Captain of the Guards, at least with the elves and Dwalin sometimes would ask me to assist with the training regimen for the dwarves." I chuckled. "And I am part of the royal guard to the King…a bit odd I suppose with me being Queen, but I only trust myself to watch over Thorin."_

" _Like in the game of chess, the Queen always protects the King." Bilbo laughed a bit. "So, does that mean you and Dwalin together are co-captains?"_

" _Yes, I guess we are." I said as I nodded my head in thought._

_Loud ruckus was heard causing Bilbo and I to look toward where the noise came from to see my two sons running from one side of the entrance to the other followed by Thorin chasing after them._

" _I should go check on them…" I mumbled worriedly while attempting to push off the comfy chair only to be stopped by Bilbo holding his hand out to me._

" _If Thorin said he can handle it then he can handle it." Bilbo assured as he motioned for me to sit back down. "Sit, I want to hear more about what happened…such as the wedding I wasn't able to attend."_

_I looked back to the doorway before hesitantly relaxing back into the chair._

" _I cannot tell you how sorry we are about that Bilbo." I said looking to Bilbo sadly. "So much had happened and we were unable to write to you…I am sorry about how worried we made you."_

" _No, stop apologizing Belle…please." Bilbo said, frantically waving his hands side to side. "I just wish I could've been there on my friends' special day."_

" _I think Ori documented it." I smiled in assurance._

" _So, how was your wedding?" Bilbo asked a bit excitedly. "Must've been a grand occasion, a huge celebration!"_

" _It was beautiful…but it was also hectic, exhausting, and stressful." I mumbled as I lifted my free hand to my head, letting out a sigh. "They decided to have our wedding the day of Thorin's coronation…our coronation. Not to mention there was never a night or day of rest."_

* * *

~Two Days before the Ceremony~

"I did warn you about my sister." Thorin mumbled with a smile on his face.

"Yes, you did." I chuckled, looking down at Thorin, playing around with strands of his hair.

It's been months since his announcement to the whole kingdom. It was a bit strange how everyone accepted such a reunion so quickly. Granted, when I walked down some of the hallways there was talk amongst the dwarves, but it wasn't as much as before. It was really…shocking to say the least.

The days leading up to the coronation, not to mention our union, were very hectic. It wasn't my idea to have our union on the same day…but I guess Balin and the counselors figured that if we were going to be crowned King and Queen, we may as well have the marriage before then. It was going to be a huge celebration. The chefs were bustling here and there, cooking heaps of food. Maids were out and about before the sun rose to late into the night decorating the kingdom, the hallways, the great hall, the throne room and the dining room. Many would approach me and ask for my opinion on which I would like better when it came to anything and everything that had to deal with my marriage to Thorin, and with the feast.

And then…there was Dís. She had asked to help me get ready for my special day, along with Tirananniel, Mellimeldisiel, my niece Thenidiel and Tauriel. Thorin had warned me how his sister can get a bit out of control, but I didn't think anything of it and agreed. I mean, what harm could it possibly do I thought.

Boy was I wrong.

I knew Tirananniel had an idea, possibly already saw how I would look long before I was asked to be Thorin's Queen while Dís had her own views as well…two of the most stubborn people I've ever met. There were some moments when I would catch my friend and Dís arguing about the style and accessories…the only thing they did agree on was the color: white. Mellimeldisiel, Thenidiel and Tauriel were the ones keeping me sane and calm instead of freaking out when my friend and my sister-in-law would argue.

But, with so much going on…all the possible scares, the jitters, and the nerves, I was finally able to find some peace and quiet. In other words…I had escaped from those that seeked my attention and hid in my room.

Thorin joined me soon after, catching me as I was sitting on our bed peacefully meditating. He snapped me out of my thoughts by kissing the tip of my nose and laying on his back with his head in my lap…hence why I was playing with strands of his hair, running my fingers through his silky mane every so often. This was a nice escape from all the frantic activity going about all over the kingdom.

"They seem too excited to get me into a dress." I commented with a slight chuckle as I leaned my head back against the backboard of the bed. "I will admit that I am not looking forward to wearing a dress."

"I for one think you look lovely in a dress." Thorin said as he let out a huff of air.

"I was never fond of dresses." I mumbled as I carefully ran my fingers through Thorin's hair once more, gently scraping my nails across his scalp.

Thorin moved suddenly in my lap, shuffling before sitting up and facing me, staring straight into my eyes as he cupped my face in both his hands, holding my head still.

"You may not be fond of wearing dresses and that's fine…after the coronation you will only wear a dress when it is absolutely necessary." Thorin smiled a bit as he placed his forehead against mine. "But for now, I am going to enjoy seeing you in a garment that makes you look like the most fairest in all of Middle Earth."

"Fairest?" I chuckled a bit. "I think you are over exaggerating that Thorin."

"No, I'm not." Thorin defended as he caressed the side of my face lovingly. "The fairest of Middle Earth and fairer then all the jewels under this mountain."

"That is if I wear a dress." I chuckled as I reached up and took Thorin's hand off my cheek.

"Dress or not, you will always be the most fairest to me." Thorin said with a content smile on his face before his eyes widened in realization. "I think there's something that's long overdue."

"And what is that?" I asked, watching as he reached toward his braid on the left side of his face.

"I snatched it out of your hair in anger that day…" Thorin mumbled sadly as he unclasped the bead holding his braid. "We've never had a day of rest to do this properly; now that we do…I hope that you will allow me to place it back where it rightfully belongs."

I smiled at Thorin and nodded as he smiled happily, reaching out to the left side of my head and began to braid strands of my hair as I simply watched in wonder as he went about his work, finishing it off with his bead clasped at the end of my braid.

I reached up and traced the intricate carvings on the little bead, admiring the simple gesture that meant so much to the culture of dwarves before I realized something.

"What about your braid?" I questioned curiously.

Thorin chuckled as he reached toward his right braid, unclasping the bead and switching it to his left side before taking something out of his pocket. He opened his hand and showed me the same silver bead that was now in both of our hair.

"I always have a spare in case I lose one." Thorin smiled as he placed the bead at the end of his braid.

After the happy exchange, the two of us settled peacefully in the bed, our backs against the backboard and my head leaning slightly on Thorin's shoulder.

"One more day and we will be joined together for the rest of our lives." I heard Thorin mumble as I closed my eyes, drifting a bit in and out of conscious due to exhaustion.

"Hm…" I mumbled as I snuggled closer to Thorin.

"Today is our day to ourselves, what would you like to do?" Thorin questioned from beside me.

"Sleep…" I mumbled, not even realizing how tired I was.

"I thought elves don't sleep?" Thorin joked as I felt his body jostle slightly from his laughter.

I didn't answer; I was already relaxing into the bed, thankful for the peacefulness after being pulled in so many directions the moment I left my room, and having to deal with so many decisions at once.

Thorin's body shuffled ever so slightly beside me, my body was being tucked into the covers of the bed and a slight pressure was applied to my forehead…it was soft and sweet. I smiled as I finally felt Thorin relax beside me with an arm draped over my waist.

* * *

~One Day before the Ceremony~

"Wait, you can't see your dress until tomorrow!" Dís called out in a panic as I began lifting the cloth that was covering the mannequin in the far corner of her room.

"I assume you guys finally came to a compromise about my gown?" I said with a smirk as I went to sit on Dís's bed.

"No, your friend was very adamant about your dress." Dís said with a cunning smile. "I wanted something different, but…then she made the dress and when I saw it I had to agree that it was perfect."

"Always trust someone who can see what the future holds." I commented with a smile.

"So, are you excited?" Dís asked as she came to sit beside me.

"I am…and I am nervous as well." I replied as I stared at the covered mannequin.

"Everyone gets nervous before their big day, Mahal knows I was." Dís laughed out loud. "You'll get over it and the day you are united with my brother will be one of the best days of your life along with seeing your kids for the first time."

"I have already experienced caring for kids." I mumbled.

"Yes, but not bringing about your own kids. Raising your sisters kids is completely different from giving birth to your own and seeing them look at you with so much love." Dís said fondly before shaking her head. "But I think I'm getting far too ahead of myself, let's get you through the wedding and the coronation first."

I nodded before suddenly feeling a slight tug from the side of my head as I heard Dís letting out a hearty laugh.

"Well it's about bloody time!" Dís commented as she looked at the braid on the side of my head. "Ever since the announcement I was waiting to see this in your hair…shame on Thorin that he were to place it in your hair two days before your union.

"We were both busy." I defended as I gently took the braided strand out of Dís's hand and fiddled with it between my thumb and pointer finger.

"Tonight…is the feast between our two houses, everyone is excited." Dís commented as I saw her turn to look at the covered dress. "Tomorrow…my brother will be King, our kingdom will have a Queen, I will have a sister, our houses will be united as one, and the whole kingdom will be celebrating until late into the night."

Dís suddenly grabbed both of my shoulder and forcefully turned me toward her, catching me off guard.

"I hope someone told you about the rings!" Dís called out in a panic. "If you need some help I can help you…but oh dear…it's already so late maybe I should assist and make it for you."

Dís began to mumble to herself and I watched as she began to panic before I laughed just a bit, causing her to glare slightly in my direction.

"Dís, please, everything is alright." I assured her as I bought her back to the present. "I was told everything that needed to be prepared and I have been working every night on my gift."

"You sure?" Dís said looking a bit nervous.

"With how you are acting…you would think you were the one getting married." I laughed a bit. "I am sure Dís; I have everything on my end under control."

Silence settled between us as I felt Dís's nerves disappear and vanish before I decided to talk once more.

"I assume I will have to wear a dress tonight." I mumbled quietly.

"Your elvish friend with the gift of foresight has already taken care of everything; apparently…she has seen what you were wearing then as well." Dís answered.

"Should I be worried?" I questioned curiously.

"Yes." Dís said plainly as she chuckled to herself causing me to raise an eyebrow at her in suspicion. "Because you may cause my brother to go into shock the moment he sees your beauty."

I shook my head and smiled at Dís who still seemed to be giggling at her own little joke before I stood up from the bed.

"I have some work to attend to. Will you be alright here by yourself?" I questioned curiously.

Dís nodded before she began pushing me out of the door.

"I will see you later tonight." Dís smiled before slamming the door behind me.

I shook my head and began walking in the direction I needed to go, to the place I needed to be…a place I've spent some time in creating something I hoped would be fantastic.

* * *

It wasn't a big feast or a big gathering for this feast was only meant for the family of the two houses. But with both of our background: my siblings had passed on along with Thorin's father and grandfather, the feast consisted of those we considered family.

Of course my nephews and niece were there, along with Thenidiel, Mellimeldisiel and Tauriel who was escorted to the feast by Kili. While Thorin had his sister, his nephews, along with the rest of the company along with Lord Dáin. Many had voiced their approval, eagerly waiting to dig in to the food and to celebrate the union of our two houses, and it was a joyous occasion that I was happy to be a part of…to see our two families mingling and getting along so perfectly.

Tonight, Thorin and I were not going to share a room like we usually did; we were to be separated and not allowed to see each other until the ceremony. Thorin had escorted me back to the room I was given, far away from the room we shared. Before I had disappeared into my room, Thorin and I had shared a passionate kiss before he had bid me goodnight.

'Tomorrow, my life will never be the same.' I thought as I watched Thorin disappear around a corner. I smiled as I reached for the bead at the end of my braid. 'Tomorrow, my life will be entwined with Thorin's…a new chapter.'

* * *

~The Day of the Ceremony~

"There's still so much that needs to be done!" A frantic dwarf said in a panic as she ran from one side of the room to the other, speaking to people that were coming and going from our room.

"Dís." I called out from my spot in the chair that was facing the mirror. I felt Thenidiel patting my hair down with a towel to dry it after I had taken my bath.

"Where is that blasted maid…" Dís mumbled to herself as she began pacing the room.

"Dís, you need to calm yourself." I called out to my friend.

"Yes, please do or you'll make everyone in this room nervous with your pacing." Tirananniel commented from where she sat on the bed.

"How are all of you so calm?" Dís called out nervously before grumbling to herself. "Am I the only one at the edge of my wits here?"

"Yes." Tirananniel answered plainly as I saw Dís in the mirror glare dangerously at my friend on the bed.

"Here here." Mellimeldisiel said with a smile as she placed a hand on Dís's shoulder, leading her to a chair placed by the mannequin that held my dress, a dress I was still unable to see just yet. "Rest and calm yourself…we don't want the future Queen nervous now would we?"

"No…" I heard Dís mumble before she relaxed right into the chair, stress still clear by how tense she still was.

"I am not nervous Dís so there is no need for you to be." I commented as I then felt my niece brushing out my hair.

"I think it's about time that we start getting you all dressed up." Mellimeldisiel said as she stood up to come and stand beside my chair.

"You're safe in our hands." Thenidiel said with a smile.

"We will make you look absolutely stunning." Tauriel said from her place beside Dís.

I could only smile and nod my head, even though I had told Dís I wasn't nervous…that didn't stop my insides from doing twists and turns, or my heart thumping wildly in my chest.

* * *

We were in the Gallery of the Kings once more; everyone had arrived and was waiting patiently to catch a glimpse of the future Queen. The ceremony had yet to start...and here I was feeling nervous as ever. Never had I imagined marriage in my future, and yet here I am waiting for my bride to be, my elf…my Queen.

This day would've been taken from me had Bellethiel not decided to intervene with the plans of the Valar…but here I stand in the middle of this crowded room, in the middle of the sea of people with my cousin standing beside me along with my friend Dwalin, both assuring me that all will be fine.

I heard the doors creaking open, saw the crowd in front of me turn in the direction of the sound and a sharp intake of breath being taken by the people around the room before silence settled amongst everyone in the room. From where I stood I could see people moving ever so slightly to the side, almost making what looked to be a pathway toward me.

I waited in anticipation, hoping to see my elf through the cracks of the people in the crowd…but was unsuccessful and it only made my nerves worse.

Time…seemed to stretch on forever until finally I saw the sea of people part in front of me, creating an opening and the moment I was able to see what had commanded the people crowded in the Gallery I felt like my heart had stopped.

The sight before me left me breathless.

Bellethiel was walking in my direction with her nephews and niece following a bit behind her. She wore a beautiful silk white gown that hugged her figure, the bottom of the dress flared out and the extra fabric trailing behind her. The neckline was what looked to be a mixture between falling off her shoulder along with a low neckline dress that showed off her shoulders. A sash of the same color hung loosely on her waist and the sleeves of her dress was a white see through fabric that seemed to angle from her wrist and trail down, almost blending into her dress. The only color that was on her was the gold lattice that curled and swirled on the front of her dress. The crown on her head was a simple crown; it was made from silver, the metal curving over and around each other…almost dancing. Three blue jewels were placed in the crown, one in the center and the others evenly spaced on either side.

I could feel my jaw slacked ever so slightly that I had to remind myself to keep my jaw closed as my eyes were trained solely on the being approaching me. The way the sun would catch her, it was as if my eyes were looking upon a creature whose beauty was…otherworldly. Words could not best describe the beauty that was walking toward me…if I had to say something, I would say that what I saw was one of the Valar had manifested in front of me and graced me with their beauty.

And this being before me was soon going to be mine.

I must have been staring for quite a while for Bellethiel let out a chuckle the moment she was in front of me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Thorin." She whispered with a smile, snapping me back to the present.

* * *

I wasn't used to this kind of attention, sure I had to deal with a crowd of fighters and giving speeches…but this type of attention was something foreign to me, it didn't help that I was dressed in something I wasn't used to. I wasn't giving speeches, and most of the people attending today weren't people I was going into battle with.

Eyes turned in my direction, parting and making a path for me to follow. I was about to take a step forward through the door, but my feet wouldn't move…and my heart began to beat erratically in my chest to a point where I could hear it in my ears causing me to gulp nervously.

"Nana…"

I felt hands on both my arms and I looked over my shoulder to see who they belonged to and I saw my nephews and niece smiling back at me.

"I'm sure it's easier once you take the first step." Thenidiel assured with a smile.

"You look beautiful Nana." Beriohtarion commented.

"Hurry, Thorin's waiting." Balamaethor smirked as I felt his arm push me forward.

I took a deep breath, turned back to face the people present in the room and began to follow the path that opened up before me…leading me to where I assume Thorin would be.

The crowd finally parted and there I saw Thorin, my king…my dwarf flanked by both Dwalin and Dáin. His eyes were set on me as I made my way toward him, but he did not mutter a sound…he looked to be in a daze and I couldn't help but blush a small bit at the intensity in his eyes. He was in his finest dwarvish garb, royal blue tunic accompanied with a black fur lined coat. Silver boots and buckles finely polished along with his black trousers...the garments he wore reminded me of when I had visited with Thranduil to greet his grandfather, that day he was dressed in a similar outfit. He looked so handsome…I couldn't take my eyes off him as I admired the way he stood with his head held high, and the way his smile grew the closer I got.

I stood in front of Thorin, but he did not make a move causing me to chuckle just a bit before I reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Thorin." I whispered just enough for us to hear and I could see him blink a couple of times before letting out a nervous cough.

Thorin smiled as he held his left hand out for me to take and bowed just a bit before me.

"Bellethiel." Thorin said as he turned and with his right hand gestured toward the front of the Gallery. "Shall we?"

I bowed back and gracefully slid my right hand into his outstretched one. I stood at his left as he led the two of us straight forward on the path that the audience had created for us. The two of us were the center of attention as everyone in the kingdom had come to see this joyous occasion. I saw Bard and his children smiling our way, Thranduil had even come with some of the elves that came when I called during the battle…but I could not see his son. Beorn and Radagast were there as well…never would've pegged them to join in on such a large gathering. When we got closer to the front of the room I could see the faces of our family members and my heart could only swell up more with joy. Dís had joined her cousin Dáin as Fili and Kili stood beside their mother, friends who stuck by me through all the good and the bad, and my niece and my nephews standing tall across from Dís and her family. All the familiar faces I had passed had greeted me with a smile, to which I greeted right back with a bow of thanks.

At the very front, on the very top of the staircase stood Gandalf…someone I never expected to see and it took me the most by surprise as I also saw Balin smiling beside the grey wizard. I would've faltered in my steps had Thorin not been there holding tightly to my hand.

"Gandalf…" I gasped out as we stood at the bottom of the steps.

"Hello my dear." Gandalf said with a happy smile as he bowed slightly to the two of us. "It's so good to see that you are well."

"How…" I mumbled before Gandalf chuckled.

"I was invited of course." Gandalf simply stated. "Never would've imagined that by inviting you on a simple adventure…would lead us to this day. And to think Thorin, you of all people, wanted to get rid of her from the start yet here you are now."

"I will always trust your judgment in the future." Thorin chuckled.

"Well then." Gandalf's voice boomed out so that everyone in the room could hear. "Shall we begin then?"

I nodded my head as I slowly turned to look to Thorin, staring into his eyes as he did the same. Balin began to descend the steps, stopping the moment he stood right before us.

"Are you ready?" Balin whispered as he looked to the both of us.

I nodded along with Thorin before Balin cleared his throat and smiled at the audience present in the room.

"We are here today to bear witness of the joining of hands of Thorin II Oakenshield and Bellethiel of Greenwood. In the presence of family, friends, the Men of Dale, the elves of Greenwood the Great, and the dwarves of Erebor, these two warriors…these two leaders will bind their lives together until the end of their days." Balin called out with a smile as he bought forth a sheer white long fabric. "Please, if you will, hold your hands together with your palms up so you may see the gift that they are to each of you."

Thorin took both my hands in his as the two of us held on tight to each other as Balin went about lightly tying the sheer fabric sash around our two hands, tying it off at the end and binding us together.

When he was finished, he looked at the two of us before he began to speak once more.

"These hands which are holding yours on such a joyous day are strong and vibrant with love, on this day you promise to love each other until the end of your days. Hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future, as you laugh and cry, as you share your innermost secrets and dreams. Hands which will passionately love and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes: tears of sorrow and tears of joy." As Balin spoke, I stared down at my dwarf…this dwarf is who I will build my future with and I couldn't help but feel a tear fall from the corner of my eye. "These are the hands which will comfort you in illness, and hold you when fear, grief or guilt engulfs your heart. Hands that will give you support and encourage you to go far. Together as a team, everything you wish for can be realized. This binding represents the love that has bound you together to this point. It will continue to bind you to one another until the binding of your rings takes its place."

Balin suddenly paused in his words as he began to loosen the sash tied around our hands.

"Your rings?" Balin questioned as soon as our hands were free.

Thorin nodded with a smile as he took my left hand and placed a ring upon my ring finger. It was a simple slim ring band with tiny jewels dotting the edges of the ring that shone as bright as the stars in the night sky, and in the center was a beautiful sapphire jewel the sparkled brightly under a certain light. It took my breath away.

"Wood elves love the light of the star the best." Thorin said as he caressed my hand in his. "I crafted it with you in mind…I thought it was fitting, a combination of the two of us. Please say you love it."

I smiled fondly at the ring; I couldn't utter a single response so I simply nodded as more tears began to gather on the side of my eyes.

I then reached up the sleeve of my dress where I had attached a string that was holding the ring I had spent hours, days creating just for Thorin.

I took Thorin's left hand and placed the ring on his ring finger as well. It was a large silver band ring, about an inch or so in there was a gold band over the silver, and on the gold I had engraved the same design that was on Thorin's bead. It wasn't as…extravagant as what Thorin had created, but I hope that he would like it.

"I was never good at forging; only thing I was ever good at was fighting." I commented with a slight blush as I watched Thorin study the band on his finger. "But I tried to make it as perfect as possible. With many failures along the way came this creation…I hope that you like it as well."

Thorin smiled, clenching his fist and fiddling with the ring before nodding his head as he reached up and brushed the corner of my eye.

"It's perfect Bellethiel." Thorin mumbled as he placed a kiss upon my lips, granted I had to bend down a bit as he rested his forehead against my own. "Thank you."

The rings on our finger now represented our bond, sealing our lives together for the rest of our lives.

The two of us smiled happily at each other as the people in the room began to clap and I couldn't help but feel…different. I will not be fighting any type of battle alone, I now have a partner that will never desert me…I have someone who will stand by my side through thick and thin as I will do the same for him.

A short cough bought our attention back to Gandalf as I saw Balin beside the wizard holding a large red pillow in his hands. Placed on the pillow was two crowns as Gandalf nodded to the two of us.

Thorin and I simultaneously kneeled on the steps of the platform as Gandalf lifted up a crown that shined and sparkled in the light of the sun. When the delicate crown was lifted I could see beautiful chains dangling and layering on each side of the crown, reaching from one side to the back of the piece. On the very side of the crown were long dangling chains that held silver carvings of leaves with emeralds placed in the very center at the bottom. The designs of the crown were branches weaving around and between each other with flowers carved on the interlocking branches.

Gandalf smiled at me as I bowed my head to the wizard. I felt the crown I was wearing being lifted and removed while another took its place. The silver chains dangling on the sides of my face, the leaf jewelry dangling below my chin.

I lifted my head, smiling once more at Gandalf before the wizard turned to take the other crown off the pillow. This crown was the crown that Thorin was wearing, that his grandfather had worn in his ruling, but it was polished and well taken care of. I smiled as I kept my head lowered, watching in the corner of my eye as he too was crowned and for a second I saw slight fear in his eyes for the last time he wore that crown…he was under the influence of the sickness in this mountain.

I gave his hand a tight squeeze, bringing his attention to me. I smiled in reassurance as I gave his hand another squeeze, which he nodded in appreciation and responded by tightening his grip on my own.

After the crowns were placed securely on our heads the two of us stood up as Gandalf and Balin smiled gleefully at the two of us.

"Now comes the days of the King." Balin called out, his voice echoing around the room. "May they be blessed."

Balin and Gandalf took a step down as Thorin led me to the very top of the platform, the two of us now facing the crowd.

"I present to you The King…" Gandalf called out looking up to Thorin and then glancing to me. "and Queen of Erebor!"

Loud cheers, clapping, and laughter erupted in the Gallery as I looked out in the sea of people. I looked to my family and for that one second I felt a slight emptiness in my chest…oh how I wish my siblings could be here to see such a day and to celebrate it with me. But I suppose…in a sense they were here, watching through the eyes of their children. They live in my niece and nephews and that thought made me feel a bit better.

This is truly a day I will never forget as I stood tall and proud beside my King, my dwarf, my…husband. We'll be starting a new chapter in our lives…together.

* * *

" _My word, that must've been a sight to see." Bilbo commented with a chuckle as he shook his head. "Thorin left in shock at the sight of you."_

" _Possibly the only time Thorin was ever at a loss for words." I commented as I felt my daughter shuffle a bit in my arms. "Accepting that wizards offer is possibly the best thing I ever did, for if I had decided to stay in Bree or go in the opposite direction of the Shire well…I would not have found love, never made such wonderful friends or knew about my niece…I would never be here holding my children."_

_Silence settled between us before I remembered something._

" _Thank you Bilbo." I said, bringing the hobbits attention back to me._

" _For what Belle?" Bilbo questioned._

" _Allowing us to spend the night, for letting my kids use the guest bedroom, and for letting the company raid your pantry once more." I said with a smile. "You truly are a generous host."_

" _You all are my friends, I'm happy that you all decided to visit. It really was the best birthday party I've had in all my years." Bilbo nodded happily. "Though I could've done without the blasted song."_

" _I never got to hear the song, it was nice. I would not mind hearing it again." I chuckled a bit as Bilbo let out a groan._

" _So, how did Thorin react when he found out you two would be parents?" Bilbo questioned curiously. "How did you tell him?"_

" _Oh, now that is a funny story." I said with a slight laugh._


	14. We're Expecting!

'I don't feel so good...' I thought to myself as I walked through the halls of the kingdom.

After the coronation there was a huge feast, soon after I was thrown into the duties that came with being the new Queen. They were different from Thorin's, I didn't have to attend any of the meetings between the Lords very much or meetings with his counselors, but mostly my job was to keep the peace in the kingdom. Listening to any concerns our people may have, the concerns coming from the people in Dale and when I was needed I would sit in on any strategic meetings with Thorin, Bard, and Thranduil. Basically...I was doing what I was doing before I was Queen, it's just that now people came to me every second of the day instead of me stumbling upon the problems and concerns.

I was insistent though to keep training the elves that stayed in Erebor. There were some disagreements from some of Thorin's counselors, but I trusted only a few people with training them the way I did. Though, I assured them that if they had a problem then I would let Tauriel take over when I was needed elsewhere. Mostly though I made sure to overlook their training, or at least had some say in what they were doing.

It had been a busy time after the coronation and our wedding, but I was happy. Sure, before our wedding we were already sharing a room, but now...I suppose I saw Thorin differently now. Before I was sharing it with the one I loved, but now I was sharing it with someone I can forever call my own. He was my husband.

'How foreign...to be calling Thorin my husband...' I thought as I smiled automatically, but the happiness was short lived. I suddenly felt very nauseous, feeling something traveling up my throat and I quickly placed a hand over my mouth as I ran into one of the rooms closes to me...which thankfully was the room I shared with Thorin.

I burst into the room and hastily looked around. When I spotted a bucket I snatched it up and headed to the bathroom.

Whatever I had eaten that morning was all going right into the bucket, and when I had thrown up my breakfast I felt like I was just heaving up air. I feel absolutely sick...and it's been that way for the past weeks now. I felt bad because sometimes I would wake up Thorin in the middle of the night due to me heaving in the bathroom...he would sit beside me, rubbing my back as I threw up everything that was in my stomach into the bucket. I didn't know what was wrong with me...must've been something I had eaten I concluded.

As I rested my head against the tub in our bathroom I started to think back of the past couple of weeks and started to notice that something was indeed wrong with me, and I don't think that it was a simple case of eating the wrong food.

I've also noticed that I've been tired lately; I tend to head back to my room when I had some peace and quiet, drifting to sleep. I think even a couple of times my mood had gone from happily training the elves in Erebor to getting angry at them for the simplest of things.

I let out a sigh as I finally felt my nausea disappearing as I finally leaned back against the wall, waiting to see if it would come back any time soon.

'I should go and check in with one of the healers...' I thought suddenly as I carefully got back to my feet. 'I hope it's not anything too bad...'

When I emptied out the bucket out of our bathroom window that was situated above the river below I heard a knock at our bedroom door.

"Come in!" I called out as I cleaned my mouth out with some water from the basin.

I heard the door creek open and when I exited the bathroom there was a dwarf bowing at me, I knew this dwarf as well.

"Hello Frár." I greeted with a smile as I walked toward my bed. "What are you doing here?"

After Thorin had proposed, Frár and a few other dwarves I did not recognize were invited to be a part of Thorin's counselors. Thorin had said that with them a part of his counsel they would speak on the behalf of elves if any of his old counselors were to speak up against us. Apparently, these dwarves weren't just chosen at random either, they seemed to know me as well just like Frár. Dwarves that me and my kin had returned to assist in the mountain when it was set ablaze.

"Apologies my Queen." Frár said as he stood up to his full height. "King Thorin is about to meet and have lunch with Lord Dáin, Lord Bard and Lord Thranduil and he requests that you join them."

"Thank you for telling me Frár." I said as I began walking toward the door.

"I shall escort you there." Frár said as he started walking out of our room with me following close behind.

Frár and I talked on our way to where Thorin was; it was nice hearing what he had been up to since I had seen him as a little dwarf, nice to hear what everyone had been doing. It was times like these that made my heart swell because these are the dwarves we saved. If we had not saved them back then, many lives now wouldn't exist.

I've started to take notice that the longer I spent with Frár that once he got talking about his family there was no stopping him, like when Gloin would talk about his son Gimli. I'm not complaining though, it was nice to hear such stories.

"My King." Frár greeted as I looked to where Frár was looking at.

I saw Thorin standing at the entrance of the kingdom, speaking to his sister and his nephews in his blue tunic without his fur coat and when he was called, he had turned in our direction and a large smile graced his feature.

"Belle." Thorin greeted as soon as I was in arms reach of him. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel well, Thorin." I smiled as I came to stand at his side. "Are we just waiting for our guests?"

"Yes, they should be arriving soon." Thorin said as he looked toward the city of Dale. "My sister was here just keeping me company."

I turned to Frár and nodded to him with a smile.

"Thank you Frár, you can go back to your family if you like." I said as Frár simply bowed and left back the way we had come.

"Will Dís, Fili and Kili be joining us for lunch?" I questioned curiously.

"No, we're only here to keep my brother company until the rest of the Lords arrive." Dís said with a smile.

"What is this meeting about?" I asked Thorin.

"Just another update about what's been going on...Thranduil said they have some news for us that may be a cause for concern." Thorin informed.

"Greetings Thorin." A loud voice boomed out.

Our attention was drawn to the entrance to see Dáin, Bard and Thranduil making their way to us, two on a horse and the other on a large boar.

"Greetings my Lords." I called out with a smile as I watched the three dismount their steeds. "I hope the journey here was not too much of a hassle."

"No trouble at all Belle." Bard had said with a smile.

All of us spoke to each other for a few seconds; the three attending today had all either addressed me by my name or a shortened version of it as requested by me. At first they had called me by my title, but with people I had known before I had become Queen calling me by such a name seemed so awkward for me that I wanted them to keep the way they called me as is. As we exchanged greetings and pleasantries, Thorin nodded in the direction of the room we usually had these small meetings in.

"Shall we speak more over lunch?" Thorin questioned as I nodded and turned with Thorin who had reached for my hand in the process.

"Actually..." Bard mumbled nervously bringing our attention back to him. "there are still some people who will be attending this small gathering as well."

"Oh, are your kids coming?" I questioned happily. "They are always welcomed, so it is no problem whatsoever."

"No, they actually invited themselves when they knew that I was coming to meet with you and Thorin." Bard mumbled, clearly looking a bit irritated when he spoke.

"And who would be our unexpected guests?" Thorin questioned curiously.

"King Thorin!" A loud happy voice sounded from behind Bard and Thranduil.

The two Lords stepped to the side for us to see and I could only groan in irritation after seeing who our uninvited guests were.

"The Master and Alfrid..." I grumbled from beside Thorin as I smiled in an attempt to be welcoming.

"It's quite a surprise to see you two here." Thorin said as I felt him tense beside me. "We did not expect any more people for lunch."

"Well, when Bard said he was going to meet with you he had invited the two of us." The Master said as Bard carefully shook his head from beside the two.

"Well, the more the merrier I suppose. I shall go and make sure that the cooks know to make extra." I commented as I looked toward Bard. "Bard, would you like to accompany me?"

"Of course Belle." Bard nodded as he bowed to Thorin one last time before following me close behind.

When the two of us were a fair distance away from the group I heard Bard growl out in irritation.

"I'm so sorry Belle; I really tried to keep them from coming along." Bard apologized as he came to walk beside me.

"Today seemed like it was going to start off as a good day," I commented sadly. "it is alright Bard. Do you know why they are here?" I questioned curiously.

"I have no idea what their intention for tagging along today is..." Bard said as we headed toward the kitchen area.

When we entered the room beautiful aroma of delicious food filled the air, but there was a certain smell mixed in that at that very moment made my stomach do flips. I felt something rising up my throat and I once again had to place a hand over my mouth.

"Bard..." I whispered making as light gagging noise. "I am sorry, can you relay the information to the cooks, and I shall be right back."

"Are you alright Belle?" Bard questioned with concern.

"No I am not..." I spoke with difficulty as I quickly searched for the bathroom in the kitchen, running toward the room as I grabbed a bucket along the way.

At this point I was heaving up nothing...basically all of it was dry heaves.

***knock knock***

I lifted my head when I heard knocking at the door to the bathroom I was in and cleared my throat before calling out to whoever was on the other side.

"Who is it?" I called out quietly.

"Belle." Bard's voice cut through as I saw the door slowly creek open, Bard's head poking through the crack of the door. "Are you alright?"

"I am fine Bard...just let me rest here for a bit." I called out as I held the bucket close.

"Hope everything is alright Belle." Bard said as he came more into the bathroom.

"Just a bit sick...possibly something I ate..." I mumbled sadly.

"Has it been that way for a couple of days?" Bard questioned.

"No...it has been maybe a couple of weeks every morning and sometimes during the day..." I mumbled as I carefully rested in my spot.

I heard Bard hum before hearing his footsteps leave the bathroom and then return, but the moment he returned I smelt something foul envelop the bathroom causing me to hurl back in the bucket.

"Bard...what did you bring..." I groaned in pain as I gagged more into the bucket.

"It's fish Belle." Bard mumbled as he came beside me. "You were eating this at the feast after your coronation."

"Please take it away..." I pleaded my voice as weak as possible.

"Answer me this; I already know of your sickness, and that you suddenly have a dislike for fish when not too long ago you were eating it just fine...have you had any mood swings? Fatigue and tiredness? Or anything else out of the ordinary that would be considered a drastic change for you?" Bard questioned as I turned to look at him in confusion.

"Yes, how did you know?" I questioned before gagging more. "Please get rid of that fish...it is making me sick."

I watched as a smile made its way on Bard's face as he shook his head. I heard him speaking to someone before the smell of fish was carried away and was no longer prominent in the room we were in.

"Belle...have you ever been around when your sister was having her kids?" Bard questioned.

"Not really...not at the beginning." I mumbled honestly. "We were a bit busy...but my brother and I were always there for her when she really needed us..."

"Belle..." Bard said with a smile as I felt him rubbing my back. "I think some congratulations are in order."

"Congratulations for what..." I mumbled a bit irritably.

"Well I think you and the King are expecting a child." Bard answered plainly. "You are having fairly the same symptoms when my wife was having our children. We will only know for sure when you start showing more."

'A child...?' I thought in shock as I subconsciously reached down and placed a hand on my stomach. "I think you are mistaken Bard..."

"I've had three Belle I think at this point I know the symptoms of a pregnant woman." Bard teased. "You can't possibly be worried about being a mother. You've raised two and you're now raising another...granted they're already over a hundred. But you're still the mother figure in their lives. You've been raising them well; you have nothing to worry about if you had your own."

"My own children..." I mumbled a bit dumbfounded. "My concern is if Thorin wanted children..."

"The dwarf is in love with you." Bard assured with a smile. "I'm sure the news would make him extremely happy."

"I know a way I can find out for sure..." I mumbled, carefully getting up with a hand still over my stomach. "Granted we will be a little late, and it is a bit of a cheat...but I am sure she will tell me when it comes to something like this..."

I carefully pushed my way out of the bathroom before turning to look back at Bard.

"Are you coming Bard?" I questioned with a smile causing Bard to only nod his head.

I knew where she was...she always loved learning new things, and thankfully it was close to the area that our lunch was being held.

"Tirananniel." I called out to the elf that was holding a large book in her hand. "I am curious about something."

I watched as Tirananniel closed the book and then turned to look at Bard and myself.

"Hello there, my Queen." Tirananniel said with a cheeky smile.

"I am sure you know why I am here, judging by the smile on your face." I said as I crossed my arms across my chest.

"Yes I do indeed know why you are here." Tirananniel chuckled.

The three of us stood around together in silence, and as time ticked by I started to get agitated.

"Well!" I growled out in irritation causing Tirananniel's smile to widen more.

"Calm down my friend." Tirananniel said with a chuckle. "To answer your question, yes you are. I suggest you get Thenidiel to monitor your progress as the weeks go by."

"I am...pregnant..." I mumbled in surprise. "and, you are sure about that?"

"I'm insulted that you would ask me if I was sure." Tirananniel mumbled with mock hurt. "Yes Bellethiel, as sure as the sun will rise and set, you are pregnant and expecting triplets. Congratulations my friend."

So many emotions were going through me. I was shocked, scared, nervous...but at the same time I was happy, excited, and elated.

"I am going to be a mother..." I mumbled before I began to register what Tirananniel had just said. "did you say triplets?"

"Yes." Tirananniel said as she turned back to her book. "I won't say anything until you announce the good news to Thorin."

"Triplets..." I heard Bard mumble before chuckling at me. "congratulations to you and Thorin, you're going to be wonderful parents. When do you plan to tell Thorin?"

"Thank you Bard." I said happily as I felt my heart beat wildly in my chest. "I will probably tell Thorin sometime today before we announce it to the family."

"If I may intervene in your conversation," Tirananniel said as our attention was bought back to the elf. "I do believe that you guys are missing a lunch between Thorin, Thranduil, Dáin and the Master."

"Yes, we should get to the meeting." I nodded in agreement. "We shall take our leave, thank you Tirananniel for telling me the good news."

Tirananniel bid us good bye, a happy smile still plastered on her face as she went back to reading her book.

Bard and I had arrived at the room just in time to see the cooks handing out plates in front of the Lords present in the room along with the empty seats.

"You two sure took long." Thranduil stated as soon as we walked in through the door.

"Yes, sorry. I got sick the moment I got into the kitchen." I apologized as I went to take a seat beside Thorin.

"You must go and see a healer the moment you leave this room." Thorin mumbled as he got up and pulled the chair out for me, pushing it in the moment I sat in the chair.

"I think I will be fine." I said with a smile.

"Still you can't be too careful, you're a Queen now." Thranduil advised. "More people are depending on you."

I nodded my head before all of us began digging into the food that was placed in front of us. Maids began to go around; filling our gold and silver cups with wine, but when one of the maids came around to my cup I quickly placed a hand over the cup, shaking my head and politely dismissing her.

"None for me thank you." I said with a smile. "Though a glass of water would do nicely."

"Yes ma'am." The female dwarf said as she bowed and quickly left to fetch a pitcher of water.

In the corner of my eyes I saw Bard smirk as he took a drink from his cup.

All of us settled into a pleasant conversation, informing each other of what's been going on in our realms. Laughter filled the room as I listened to Dáin telling a story of when Thorin and him were little...even Thranduil was laughing just a small bit.

"Oh Thranduil." I coughed as I remembered that he had something important to say. "Thorin had informed me that you had some news for all of us."

"Yes, that's correct." Thranduil stated as he placed his cup back onto the table. "It may not cause trouble now, but it may cause some trouble in the future...but how far in the future we cannot say."

Thranduil looked in my direction, staring straight into my eyes with a serious expression on his face.

"I got some news from the one person I didn't expect to hear from in a while." Thranduil stated. "It was news from The Lady Galadriel; she insisted that I share the news with you...a small warning."

There was a few seconds of silence before Thranduil spoke up once more.

"It is as we feared Bellethiel." Thranduil said darkly. " **He** has returned."

I fumbled a bit with the silverware that was in my hands, slightly shaking a bit before I took a deep breath and spoke up.

"And she is sure about this." I questioned.

"There had been talk about a necromancer living in Dol Guldur." Thranduil stated.

"Yes, I had heard Radagast inform Gandalf of such a thing and at the base of the mountain before the war." I mumbled.

"The White Counsel had gone to investigate, and what they found was a shock to them. He had shown himself without a form...the spirit of Sauron endured and was banished. I'm assuming he fled to the East." Thranduil mumbled glumly.

"Without the Ring of Power, he can't pose a threat though right?" Bard questioned with concern.

"That is what we are hoping." I said with a nod. "But suppose The Ring were to be found."

"War would be upon us, and with the ring in the hands of Sauron...the world will be swallowed in darkness." Thranduil said sadly. "But as far as we know...the Ring of Power has long since vanished after the death of Isildur. From our knowledge...the ring is nowhere to be found."

"What does that mean for us?" Dáin questioned from his seat. "Do we rally our forces and strengthen our defenses?"

"We cannot know when he will strike." Thorin said from beside me. "I'm afraid the only thing we can do is wait and see what happens..."

"For now...there is peace." I mumbled quietly. "But I think we should always be vigilant and when the time comes that he decides to act, whether it be against any of us then we will lend help to each other when it is needed."

"The walls of this kingdom will be the last defenses if any of the kingdoms were to fall." Thorin assured.

"We defeated him once," I said confidently. "we can do it once more."

I saw Thranduil nod before the rest in the room voiced an agreement...in which I ended up forgetting that The Master and Alfrid were present until The Master opened his mouth.

"Well...that sure was a gloomy subject." The Master commented as I heard the smacking of lips and the sound of slurping reached my ears.

'Disgusting...' I thought as I grimaced when I looked in the direction of where The Master and Alfrid were sitting. There were food bits in his beard and some dripping on the chin of the other and I had to look away immediately, forcing down my lunch.

"I've got to ask." Thorin questioned from beside me. "We did not expect to have extra people attending this meeting, so there must be a reason you are here...yes?"

"Yes yes quite right." The Master said as he took the napkin from his lap and began dabbing his face. "I did indeed need to speak to you about something."

"And that may be?" Thorin questioned.

"Lake-Town." The Master said simply. "We need more materials for rebuilding the town; the last payment did only so little that we weren't able to build it back to the way it used to be. Granted we salvaged some of the town little by little, but most was destroyed when the dragon attacked."

"A dragon that was woken up by you..." Alfrid commented oh so quietly that it went on deaf ears to the rest in the room, but I had heard it and I knew Thranduil had heard it for he had lifted a brow in his direction.

"You'll need more of the gold in this mountain." Thorin stated.

"If it's not too much trouble." The Master said with a smile...a sly smile from my point of view and I glared dangerously in his direction, feeling my anger suddenly flare up.

"How about you Bard?" Thorin questioned, looking to the Lord of Dale.

"I think we're fine for now Thorin. So far, we have all the buildings built up and repaired, the streets are cleared, and thanks to the elves we were able to burn the bodies of the orcs. Not to mention getting rid of all the unnecessary ruble that was unsalvageable." Bard said. "If we ever need any more help I will be sure to send a request."

"I'll grant your request." Thorin said plainly. "I'll be sure to send it to you as soon as possible."

"Now hold on Thorin." Thranduil stated plainly. "Before you do anything I must say...you could always ask for help from my kin. We would be happy to lend any assistance in rebuilding the town. After all, your wealth comes from my realm...I wouldn't mind lending you some of the wealth from my kingdom so long as I get something in return."

"Well yes that is another option I suppose." The Master said a little crestfallen.

"We are still owed our due though...after all we lent you housing and food for several weeks." Alfrid commented to himself.

"I am sorry Alfrid, did you say something?" I questioned curiously. "You may have to speak up more, you are mumbling."

"Nothing ma'am." Alfrid said with a sickly smile.

"I must comment on something, is that a new coat?" Thranduil questioned. "I'm sure everyone is starting to bundle up due to the increase in weather, it's a possibility it may snow very soon."

"I think The Master will take you up on that offer Thranduil." I commented with a slight smirk. "The faster we get to rebuilding the town, the faster we can all move forward to a bright future. Were we can look and not even know if a dragon had attacked or not."

"Well, I...now see here..." The Master began to stutter.

"It is a bit strange that we had given you and Bard the exact same payment, yet Dale is close to being complete while Lake-Town is not even close. Not to mention Bard rarely asks for help, which I urge him to ask whenever it is needed...yet you are asking so often one has to wonder where the wealth in this mountain is going if not to Lake-Town." I commented as I leisurely took a sip from my cup.

"You thieving little buggers!" Dáin called out from where he sat, finally catching on to what Thranduil and I were insinuating. "Taking advantage of my cousins' good will! I oughta give you two a hammer to the head!"

"Don't you dare call us thieves you puny little thing!" Alfrid suddenly yelled out, standing up in his seat. Though where he had gotten such courage to stand up to the large dwarf I will not understand. "You are making false accusations."

"Puny little thing?" Dáin called out as he laughed, getting up from his seat as well. "I've been called worse you scrawny little rat."

"Oh dear..." I heard Thranduil sigh as he simply got up and came to stand beside Thorin and myself, getting out of the way from the argument.

"You two need to stop." Bard commented as he came to stand between the two now in a heated argument, standing very close together. "You can't be doing this here Alfrid! Where are your manners?"

The bickering went on for a while before my patients began to run thin.

"Hey," I called out getting up from my seat, now completely infuriated at such distasteful, disrespectful behavior from guest who had invited themselves to a meeting not meant for them...not to mention the possibility that they are taking advantage of my husband's trust and generous hospitality. "hey, hey! That is enough the lot of you!"

I looked toward one of the maids who had come in at the sudden explosive yelling.

"You, go and fetch Dwalin and inform him to bring with him some guards to escort The Master and dear Alfrid out of this kingdom." I told her as she bowed and quickly ran out before I turned my attention back at the arguing dwarf and man. "That is enough you two! Knock it off!"

I stormed toward the two, coming to stand between the then and placed a hand on Dáin's shoulder as I felt him relax under my hand, but Alfrid was not backing down even when I had ordered for the two to stop.

"We are no thieves you greedy dwarf! We are simply asking for payment for when we so graciously opened our town to your King. It is a simple request." Alfrid growled out.

"And where is half of the gold going? In your nasty pockets I'm guessin'." Dáin growled out.

"Why you..." Alfrid growled out, being caught completely off guard as I felt myself being shoved out of the way as Alfrid got closer to the dwarf Lord.

"Hey!" Bard growled out as he quickly came to my side, placing a hand on my shoulder to steady me before he reached out and grabbed Alfrid's coat angrily, lifting the guy up just a bit off the floor. "How dare you! You don't push a woman let alone push a pregnant woman! What is the matter with you!?"

"Yeah you disgusting little..." Dáin growled out before I heard his voice go from loud to soft in mere seconds. "wait...pregnant?"

I could feel everyone's eyes now on me as I glared slightly at Bard who had suddenly realized his slip up.

"Pregnant..." Thranduil said before smirking down to the dwarf King beside him. "Congratulations Thorin, and to you Bellethiel."

"Lass...you're pregnant...?" Dáin questioned in shock before a huge smile lit up his face. "Cousin I'll be damn! And you failed to mention this the moment we arrived. You would think that's the first thing you would announce to family!"

"That's because I didn't know..." Thorin mumbled a bit dumbfounded, his eyes as wide as dinner plates as he slowly stood up from his chair. "Bellethiel...you're..."

"I…I was not going to say anything until after the meeting, but I guess the surprise is ruined." I mumbled a bit embarrassingly. "That is why we were a bit late, Bard had bought the possibility to my attention and we went searching for Tirananniel to confirm our suspicion. We are going to have triplets."

"Triplets...I'm going to be..." Thorin mumbled before I watched him stumble a bit as his eyes suddenly rolled to the back of his head and his body slumped to the floor.

"Thorin!" I called out in shock and worry.

"He simply fainted." Thranduil stated as he looked down at the dwarf King.

The double doors bursts open and I saw Dwalin along with a mixture of elven and dwarf guards flanking either side of him. The bald headed warrior looked between Thorin who was on the floor and Bard who was holding Alfrid by the collar of his coat and immediately I knew he had assumed the worse.

"What did this fishy bastard do to the King?" Dwalin growled out as he stormed toward us.

"He did nothing to Thorin...that is a completely different situation." I mumbled as I growled in irritation. "I called you here to escort The Master and Alfrid out of this kingdom...they are not allowed to return. As for the payment to help rebuild Lake-Town, it will be provided. But it will not go directly to you, we will send someone to take count of what needs to be done and we will provide the materials. But you will not get your hands on any of the gold; we will notify you when we plan to send someone to take care of business for the restoration of your town."

The Master and Alfrid began to bicker and disagree as I watched as they were dragged out of the room before turning to walk back to where Thorin lay.

"Dwalin, please take Thorin to our room. Make sure someone checks the back of his head and I will be in there shortly." I said with concern as I saw Dwalin nod and follow through with my order.

I turned to Bard, Thranduil and Dáin as I took in a deep breath to calm my nerves.

"I'm sorry Belle." Bard said with an apologetic look. "When I saw Alfrid push you, it just sort of slipped."

"It is fine Bard." I said with a slight chuckle. "Will be a funny story to tell the children if they were to ever ask."

"Congratulations lass." Dáin said with a smile. "I did not think I'd see the day my cousin becomes a father."

"Yes, but can we keep this between us for now?" I questioned. "The only ones who knew at first was Bard and Tirananniel, I was going to tell Thorin first before we announced it to the whole family."

"Our lips are sealed Bellethiel." Thranduil stated plainly though a smile was still on his face. "I will not let Thorin live this down though."

I could only giggle a little as I bowed slightly to the three in front of me.

"I suppose this lunch is over. There are rooms prepared for you if you intend to stay and rest after a long journey. I will have someone escort you to your rooms if you would like." I said with a smile. "I have a husband to check on that has possibly come through and is sitting in our room staring at the ground in shock."

Before I left the Lords to their business I had called in another maid and asked them to show our honored guests their rooms before leaving to my own room, promising them that we will have a dinner tonight to announce the news to the rest.

As I had suspected, when I entered the room that Thorin and I shared, I saw him slumped in the chair by the bed staring at the ground with his eyes wide open.

"Thorin..." I spoke carefully and quietly, slowly approaching the dwarf as I kneeled down in front of him. When he didn't say anything I began to worry, and it got worse the longer he stayed silent. "Thorin...please say something. Anything will do."

"You're pregnant..." Thorin finally whispered his eyes still unable to look at me.

"Yes...I found out just before we returned from the kitchen. I got sick when I smelled fish and Bard had listed some symptoms his wife had gone through when she was pregnant with their kids. He bought to my attention the possibility of me being pregnant so we went to find Tirananniel." I said quietly as I reached out and placed a hand over his own, giving it a slight squeeze. "Tirananniel said I was indeed pregnant, and that I was carrying triplets."

Thorin still couldn't look at me and I don't know why but I began to tear up...I think he was upset to have found out that way. Then I began to fear the worse…maybe he never wanted to be a father.

"I was going to tell you as soon as our lunch was over." I assured. "Do you...not want to be a father...?"

I felt my voice crack just a bit and that caused Thorin to snap back to reality as he lifted his head to look at me.

"I'm going to be a father..." Thorin said as I felt him squeeze my hand back. "a family of our own...I cannot believe it."

"Are you...not happy?" I questioned with concern and worry.

Thorin suddenly smiled as he reached forward and caressed the side of my face. He bought his face close to mine and placed his lips upon my own. Our lips locked, moving in sync, feeling all the love and assurance pouring from him to me and I couldn't help but tear up a bit more.

We had to break for air at some point and he placed his forehead against mine, and I saw a smile on his face as his eyes were closed...a serene expression on his face.

"I am very happy Belle...granted I'm a nervous wreck...but I am far from upset." Thorin said happily.

I suddenly felt him move away as he too knelt to the ground in front of me as I watched him place a hand over my stomach area.

"We're going to be parents." Thorin whispered in astonishment.

"Yeah..." I said with a smile as I reached up to brush the tears that had fallen from the corner of my eye. "Yeah we are Thorin..."

Thorin suddenly jumped to his feet, taking my hands into his own and carefully pulling me up and onto my feet.

"We must tell everyone!" Thorin said enthusiastically. "My sister, the company, your family!"

"I was thinking we could tell them tonight." I said with a smile. "We can hold a feast for our friends and family, and then announce it to everyone."

"That sounds wonderful." Thorin commented before looking up at me seriously. "You will not be doing any strenuous work Bellethiel, do I make myself clear? You can still help training our warriors but you will not be practicing with them. No swords, no bows, no sparring, nothing. Understand Belle?"

"I understand Thorin." I said with a slight chuckle.

* * *

Thankfully, no one questioned the sudden gathering. No one suspected a thing, not even why Dáin had a huge smile on his face or why Thranduil and Bard were attending as well.

I didn't mind that Thorin wanted to announce the big news to everyone...I was just happy that Thorin was happy that we were expecting. I was probably smiling like a complete fool with how excited Thorin was.

Everyone was eating and enjoying themselves before Thorin stood up from his chair. With a cup in his hand he cleared his throat to get everyone's attention in this room.

"This dinner is dedicated to family." Thorin called out with a smile. "Everyone here has played a big role in our lives and we just wanted to take this time to thank you all for everything you've done for us. Even if we've had some rough times in the past...we appreciate everything you've done so far and how much you've impacted our lives. So a toast to you all!"

Everyone reached for their cup as they held it in their hands, everyone with smiles on their faces.

"Cheers, to our ever growing family!" I called out from my seat as I lifted my cup up.

"To family!" Everyone cheered.

"And to Bellethiel," Thorin called out. "who made me the happiest dwarf today. My lovely wife got the happiest of news, we're having triplets!"

"To Bellethiel having..."

Silence settled amongst everyone in the dining room as the news slowly started to settle in everyone's mind while Thranduil, Dáin and Bard smiled our way.

"TRIPLETS!"

"Nana's pregnant!"

"Oh Mahal I'm going to be an Aunt!"

"Uncle's going to be a father!"

"Congratulations!"

I smiled as everyone began to get up out of their seat and gather us, many were congratulating Thorin and I while many were embracing us. Some screaming, some cheering, and laughter filled all around.

My niece had tears in her eyes along with my nephews, though they seemed to want to hide it more...but I raised them mostly their whole life and I knew when they were crying or when they weren't.

I was nervous and scared when I found out of the possibility that I was pregnant...it got worse when I found out I was actually pregnant. While I was eating lunch so many questions ran through my head. Like could I really be a good mother to my own children? How will I know if I'm raising them correctly? I began to worry because I never had a mother figure in my life to go by example...I had to grow up for my siblings, but I never took the roll of a mother. Would I let my children down? Can I make them happy? Will I disappoint them or do something that will make them think poorly of me? I was freaking out, and it got even worse when Bard had accidentally let it slip to Thorin that I was pregnant. Hate to say, but I was a nervous wreck even if I didn't look like I was.

But tonight...as I watched my niece and nephews interact with each other. My nerves started to calm down and settle. I may not have raised them when they were younger, my niece especially, but I looked with how my nephews turned out and I smiled. With how strong they grew up to be, stood up for what they believed in, kind hearted inside and out, loved and cared with all their might, were very respectful, and followed rules when it was necessary I began to think that maybe I wouldn't be such a failure with my own children. I raised (technically I still am raising them and my niece) them to the elves they are today, and they gave me the assurance that I will be a great mother.

Something clasping onto my shoulder bought me back to the present as I looked toward the source of the squeeze to see Thorin smiling down at me before thanking more of our friends and family who congratulated him.

'I'm not alone though...through the tough times and any doubt that I may have. Thorin will be there beside me as we grow together as parents.' I thought as my nephews and my niece came to embrace me once more. 'I am excited to see what the future holds for both of us...and our new additions to the family.'

* * *

_We were a giggling fit. Though the way I retold the moment Thorin found out about our children didn't seem as funny, Bilbo found it to be hilarious that Thorin. The mighty King Under the Mountain, the one who insulted a dragon to reheat furnaces, that faced a dragon and drenched it in molten gold, the one who went head first to go up against Azog the defiler, fainted at the sudden news of me being pregnant._

_"What is going on in here that got you two giggling like gossiping ladies?" A male's voice called out._

_The two of us ceased our laughter and turned to see Thorin walking into the room with our two sons climbing and clinging all over him, one tugging slightly at his hair while the other looked to be close to falling out of Thorin's arm, laughing as he struggled to get out of his father's arms._

_"I was just retelling Bilbo how well you took the news that we were going to be parents." I said with a cheeky smile, causing Thorin to let out a groan of slight irritation._

_"Well then, I think it is time for you three to get to bed." I said with a smile as I shuffled Estelwen just a bit to a different position in my arms._

_Frerin and Antien let out slight complaints, begging for me to let them stay up longer as Thorin placed both of them on their feet._

_"I am sorry, but it is getting late for the three of you." I said with a smile, not bothering to give in to their sad puppy eyes. "Your sister is fast asleep, and so should you two."_

_"Adad," Frerin whined, pleadingly looking up to Thorin. "everyone else is staying up late; can we please stay up late just this once?"_

_"I'm afraid I will have to agree with your mother." Thorin said with a chuckle as our two boys let out a defeated sigh._

_"Oh, Belle." Bilbo said suddenly, smiling a bit at the complaining dwarves. "I was wondering how long you and the company will be staying? If you'll be staying a bit longer than a day then I should take a trip to the market to restock my pantry."_

_"If it's not too much trouble, we were hoping to stay for a couple more days before we take off back to the Lonely Mountain." Thorin said with a smile._

_"Not too much trouble at all!" Bilbo said almost too enthusiastically. "You are welcomed to stay as long as you'd like."_

_"Thank you Bilbo." I said as I reached down to place a hand on Frerin's head while glancing down to Antien. "Say good night to Mr. Bilbo."_

_"Good night Mr. Bilbo." The two said in unison before they followed beside me as I led them to the guest bedroom that Bilbo had let my children stay in._

_I opened the door and held it open for my boys to enter before entering myself. I watched as Frerin assisted his brother into the bed before jumping in beside him, the two then waiting patiently for me to place Estelwen between them._

_"Nana?" Antien said quietly as soon as I reached the bed, gently sitting on the bed as I pulled back the cover and placed Estelwen between them._

_"Yes?" I questioned as I began to tuck the three of them in bed._

_"I wanna be just as strong as you and adad one day." Antien said as he snuggled further into the covers of the bed._

_"Me too." I heard Estelwen suddenly say as I saw her peak through half lidded eyes before she let out a small yawn._

_"What do you mean?" I questioned curiously._

_"Not only strong physically, but mentally as well." Frerin answered. "All the odds against you and yet you guys stayed strong."_

_"Well, aren't you three the wisest little things." I heard Thorin say from behind me._

_"You are the best parents in all of Middle Earth." Estelwen said sleepily and I could only smile as I leaned down and placed a kiss to their foreheads._

_"And we are blessed to have such wonderful children like you three." I said quietly as I got up from the bed. "Good night Frerin, Antien, and Estelwen. If you need me or your father, we will be just outside."_

_Thorin was waiting for me at the entrance of the room, and as I was just about to close the door a soft voice called out to us._

_"Adad. Nana."_

_I turned back around and in the dark I could see Estelwen smiling back at us._

_"Love you Adad, love you Nana." Estelwen said and I felt my heart swell up, I'll never get tired of hearing them say that._

_"We love you three with all our hearts." Thorin called back. "We shall see you in the morning."_

_I watched as Estelwen settled down in the bed before continuing to close the door, not closing the door all the way and leaving a slight crack so the light from another room could stream into theirs._

_"Thank you Bellethiel." Thorin mumbled as soon as we were a fair distance away from our children's door._

_"For what Thorin?" I asked curiously._

_"For everything you've done for me." Thorin said as he reached out and took my hand in his, lacing our fingers together. "You've stuck by me at my worse, saved my life, given me such wonderful children, and so much more that sometimes I think I don't deserve such blessings."_

_"You deserve everything and more my love." I stated plainly as I reached out to brush a strand of hair out of his face. "Let us go and rejoin the others, the night is still young for us."_


	15. The Family of Thorin and Bellethiel

"Thorin you have to stop pacing." Balin commented as he watched his cousin walk back and forth in front of their bedroom.

"I can't..." Thorin mumbled in slight irritation. "What if something goes wrong? What if..."

"Cousin," Dáin called out, going to stand in Thorin's path, placing a hand on his cousin's shoulder. "everything's going to be okay. Dís is in there along with Nestariel and Thenidiel, along with a midwife. The lass has all the help she could ask for in there...nothing bad will happen."

Dáin's reassurance had calmed the storm in Thorin, though when Thorin attempted to sit down decided to take a seat beside Dwalin he was still a nervous wreck...the cries of pain from Bellethiel wasn't any helping any to Thorin's stress.

What felt like hours, Thorin was then rewarded with a different sound. Soft wails of not one, not two, but three different pitches.

The four dwarves sitting outside all stood still when the cries came from the closed door, three held an expression of happiness while one held one of shock.

Thenidiel came out from the room, a huge smile on her face as she nodded to the four dwarves standing right outside the door.

"Thorin," She called out as she held the door open for him. "congratulations to you and my Nana. You're a father to two boys and a little girl."

Thenidiel motioned for him to come inside along with allowing Dáin, Balin and Dwalin inside while the midwife was exiting out.

Inside, Bellethiel was resting peacefully in the bed, sweat gleaming off her forehead while her hair stuck to her face. Though in her exhaustion Bellethiel was still holding on to one of the boys while Dís was holding the other, Thorin's sister greeting him with a smile the moment he walked through the door.

"Thorin." Thenidiel called out as she held a tiny bundle in her arms, the bundle squirming just a bit in her arms.

She handed the moving bundle carefully into Thorin's arms. Thorin held the little bundle carefully in his arms, his arms shaking just a bit as he looked down into the child in his arms. Beautiful ice blue eyes filled with curiosity greeted him as the little girl reached out for Thorin, grasping his finger in her tiny hand. And in that moment, everyone in that room knew that the little girl in his arms already had him wrapped around her little pinky.

"Thorin..." Bellethiel's weak voice called out to him snapping him out of his trance as he carefully inched his way toward the bed, sitting beside the exhausted elf. Dís came and placed the other boy into Bellethiel's arms as the elf held the two lovingly and smiled up to Thorin.

Thorin leaned forward and placed a kiss to her forehead before nodding to his sister.

"You did wonderful Bellethiel." Thorin whispered. "Get some rest...you deserve it. My sister and I will watch the children and they'll be here when you wake up."

Dís came and took the two boys while Thorin made himself comfortable on the chair beside the bed.

"I love you Thorin..." The dwarf King heard from his elf before slight snores were heard and Thorin could only smile as he looked down at the bundle in his arms.

"Have you two thought of names for the three?" Dís questioned as he tried to shush and shoo away Dáin and Dwalin who were beginning to crowd around the cribs Dís had put them in.

Thorin smiled as he began to rock the little girl in his arms before giving a nod to his sister.

"Yeah..." Thorin said as he got up and made his way to see his two sons. When he saw two pairs of wide blue eyes staring up at him; Thorin was happy and he knew right then and there the perfect names for his three children. Of course, when Bellethiel would wake she would have to agree as well...but Thorin knows Bellethiel would love these names.

"Welcome to the world little Estelwen." Thorin mumbled to the little bundle in his arms before looking at the eldest triplet. "Frerin and Antien. I promise you three that me and your mother will love and protect you to the fullest with everything we've got. So welcome you three, you have a big family still to see...and you guys will always know that you are loved wherever you go."

* * *

"Hello you three," Thenidiel said oh so quietly as she gently placed a blanket over Thorin and made sure that Bellethiel was doing alright in the bed. She was holding Frerin in her arms as she was tucking the three children into their crib.

The triplets were still slightly awake as they seemed to be listening to every word Thenidiel was saying, they almost looked like they could understand her.

"You three are so very lucky, I cannot wait to tell you all how amazing your mother and father are." Thenidiel mumbled as she bounced Frerin in her arm to calm him down from his crying to not wake his mother and father. "Your cousins...well I suppose we can be considered your siblings...cannot wait to tell you what your mother and father have done. The battles they've faced and overcame. Your parents are heroes, leaders, and just...an inspiration for everyone."

Thenidiel gently placed the little Frerin into his crib.

"Your mommy and daddy are such brilliant warriors...no words can truly express how amazing they truly are...and you know what? I know you three will be just as fantastic as they are when you grow up." Thenidiel said with a smile. "Welcome to the family Frerin, Antien, and Estelwen. You'll see more of your mommy tomorrow; try not to wake up your mommy from her rest okay?"

* * *

_Dearest Bilbo,_

_It seems like it's been forever since the last we had seen each other, but in reality it's only been maybe three or four months since your birthday. The children miss you dearly; they wish you the best and great health. They have grown so much since the last you had seen them; I suppose that is the elf side in them. They've grown taller, passing right above their father...they're sprouting like trees, but they still cower when they get on his bad side...though they still have Thorin wrapped around their fingers when it comes down to it._

_We know close to nothing on what they have inherited from either of us when it comes to immortality or a mortal life...and sometimes it is a fear I have in the back of my mind. But I dare not ask Tirananniel what the future holds for them, in time I forget the fear and just enjoy every second I have with them and Thorin._

_They got his stubbornness though that much I can tell you. Actually, their stubbornness can rival his own. Sad to say, they also took after Beriohtarion and Balamaethor...or better yet my sister and my brother. I can't tell you how much times I've had to speak to some of the elves or dwarves on the pranks they had pulled with Fili and Kili. If anything they got my looks but inherited their fathers' personality, except for Antien who tries to be the voice of reason...but is always persuaded by Frerin to go along with their antics. I don't mind though...they are still children after all, but who knows how they will be when they're older and more mature._

_By the way, this raven that is carrying this letter will be yours to keep. His name is Einar; he will not leave your hobbit hole until he has a message to deliver to the Mountain. You may not be able to understand him, but rest assured he can understand you. If you need someone to speak to he will listen and possibly be able to answer yes or no questions, just tell him how._

_Some sad news I'm afraid, Balin had informed us that he wishes to head back to Moria. He wants to reclaim a kingdom that rightfully belongs to dwarves. I had offered a brigade of my elves to assist him, but he had kindly declined...saying that they would be needed here. With a heavy heart we had watched Balin leave in the direction of Moria with an army of elves both from the Iron Hills and Erebor following close behind, and sadly...Ori and Oin had requested to accompany them as well. It is sad Bilbo to see friends go, but we could only wish them all the luck in the world and pray to the Valar for their safety._

_I have already planned to visit next year on your birthday, though I think I may be the only one to journey there. Thorin will be busy as will everyone else, but if things change then I will be sure to send you a message as soon as possible._

_Thorin and the remaining company wish you good health and they hope to see you soon._

_Your friend,  
Bellethiel of Erebor._

* * *

**_Greetings Bellethiel,_ **

**_I've got to be honest; when Einar had first arrived it scared the right bullocks out of me. I was tending my garden when it decided to fly right in front of my face. Spilt all the water in my can all over myself, but you are right. Einar is quite useful and sometimes he is a great companion to have, I sometimes wish I could understand him. I understand our letters take some time to get to each other, but just know that I cherish every exchange, even those from the company or the kids._ **

**_How long has it been since the last everyone was together...too long I think, two years or three? Tell everyone that they are greatly missed and if they are ever passing Bag End to not be afraid to intrude. Everyone is always welcomed._ **

**_I'm curious Belle...has there been any word from Balin and their progress in reclaiming Moria? I do hope they are well._ **

**_Will you be coming this year on my birthday? Still, no matter what, my pantry is always fully stocked and prepared for anything._ **

**_I do hope that you and your family are faring well; tell Frerin, Antien, and Estelwen to behave. Looking forward to seeing you this year for my birthday._ **

**_Best wishes,  
Bilbo Baggins._ **

* * *

_Dearest Bilbo,_

_Slow messages have been coming every so often from Ori, though they aren't as often as we would like. Their exhibition was a success! They have slaughtered most of the orcs that resided in the mountain and have reclaimed some of the parts of the great Kingdom. And though it is great news to all of us, I can't help but feel restless. There's something unsettling about knowing our friends are in an area where anything could be lurking in the dark. But I pray to the Valar, if they will even listen to me after I had gone against their plan, that they will protect our friends._

_Dear Bilbo, I had made a promise to visit every year for your birthday and I intend to keep my promise. Expect me there around tea time, the journey there will be no trouble for I have found a new form of transportation from a good friend. I'm sure you remember Arbellason, he seems to love coming by to visit when he can and when he heard that I started traveling every year to the Shire, he's offered to take me there and back again. Granted he won't drop me off close to the village, but just enough where it wouldn't be such a strain on myself._

_Your friend,  
Bellethiel of Erebor._

* * *

_Bilbo,_

_It's sad to report this, but messages have stopped coming in from Ori or anyone else who went on the journey to Moria. Gloin is worried and so is everyone else, we have no clue what has happened. Some say that they are just busy with settling in...while others fear the worse though they do not say._

_I will keep you informed if there is any news at all on the wellbeing of our friends.  
I do wish there was some good news...but there are none that I can say or think of. I'm sorry to be a bearer of bad news._

_Your friend,  
Bellethiel of Erebor._

* * *

**_Dear Bellethiel,_ **

**_We've exchanged so many letters after that specific letter that informed me of what happened to our friends, I will be honest that every day since...I've been insanely worried for Balin, Oin, and Ori. Please do keep me informed if anything turns up or if there is any news about our friends._ **

**_Hope all is well,  
Bilbo Baggins._ **

* * *

_Dearest Bilbo,_

_The children have been asking to visit you. They always ask to come with me to the Shire, so we...as a family may come and visit you this year for your birthday. Thorin, though he is busy, wishes you good will and hopes to see you soon. I have a very funny story to exchange with you:_

"Nana!" Frerin called out happily. "Nana look!"

"I am coming Estelwen, be patient." I called out as I held Antien and Estelwen by their hands as I led them to where their brother who was looking out one of the windows.

They've growing up so fast that soon before Thorin and I know it they will come to an age where they will decide that they can make their own decisions without their mother or father.

"Nana!" Frerin called out impatiently as he came to tug at my pant leg. "Come and look outside!"

"What is so interesting that you so eagerly wish to show me?" I questioned before I complied with my son and rushed to the window. What I saw made me smile. "Oh...I see what got you so excited."

"Nana, what's outside the window?" Estelwen questioned shyly.

Frerin and Antien were standing on their toes smiling from ear to ear as I bent down and lifted Estelwen so she too could look outside the window.

"It's snowing!" Estelwen yelled out excitedly. "Nana it's snowing!"

"Can we go play outside Nana?" Antien questioned.

"Please?" Frerin begged as the three looked up to me with their best puppy dog eyes.

"Of course." I said with a smile.

"Can we go and see if Adad will come play with us as well?" Estelwen questioned in my arms.

"I think your father is busy with Fili and Kili..." I mumbled before feeling a bit upset when I saw the defeated look in my daughters' eyes. "but...I suppose asking would not hurt much...let us go and find adad."

The faces of my children lit up as they started to run in the direction of the throne room with me following close behind, fast walking to keep up with the three as they headed to find their father.

"Adad!" Frerin, Antien, and Estelwen called out once we were in the throne room and when I looked up I saw the three running across the walkway to where their father was, speaking to Fili and Kili. And to my surprise my two nephews were there as well.

Thorin turned around just in time to catch Estelwen who threw herself into his arms as he laughed happily as his two sons began to tug at the bottom of his tunic.

"You three need to be more careful when you run across the walkway." I scolded slightly as I got close to the small group. "What are you all talking about that I was not invited to attend?"

"Nothing, we arrived a few seconds before you arrived." Balamaethor stated with a smile.

"What are you doing here Nana?" Beriohtarion questioned as I came to stand beside them.

"Frerin, Antien and Estelwen wanted to ask their father something." I said with a smile as I watched Thorin kneel on one knee as he tried to listen to our children all talking at once.

"One at a time you three." Thorin advised with a smile as he slowly was able to quiet the three children though they were now bouncing in place, their eyes lit with excitement. "Now, what's gotten into you three that got you all excited."

"It's snowing Adad!" Frerin called out loudly.

"And we were wondering..." Antien said a bit quietly.

"If you would want to come play in the snow with Nana and us!" Estelwen called out bouncing on the soles of her feet before getting a bit embarrassed. "That is...if you're not busy I mean..."

"Well..." Thorin said with a smile still on his face as he took a while to answer the three, causing them to lean forward a bit, waiting eagerly for his answer. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to take a break."

The three screamed out in joy causing me to only laugh at their antics.

"Well, you three got your fathers answer." I said as I came to stand behind my children. "Let us go outside and wait for your father to join us. Fili, Kili, Beriohtarion and Balamaethor...will you four be joining us?"

"Of course!" Kili called out with the biggest grin on his face. "Won't we brother?"

"A break from our everyday duties? Damn right we will..." I heard Fili mumble causing me to giggle.

"We'll get Thenidiel and meet you outside." Balamaethor said while urgently pushing his brother out of the throne room.

"Come on Nana!" Frerin said as him and his brother took both of my hands and led me in the direction of the entrance to the kingdom, Antien holding Estelwen's hand in his free one.

At the entrance of the kingdom my children stood on the bridge, bouncing in excitement at wanting to be able to play in the snow...barely able to contain themselves.

"Well...what are you waiting for?" I questioned the three who looked up at me curiously. "Your father said he would be here, so let us go and enjoy ourselves and then when Adad arrives we can all have fun together."

The three exchanged a look before nodding and running onto the snow, their laughter loud as I followed them onto the snow.

Frerin and Antien were building what looked to be snow forts while compacting little snow balls beside them. Estelwen had fallen into the snow and began to make a snow figure, throwing up snow in the progress.

Three figures then ran past me and started to join my three children in the snow and I watched the scene in front of me, taking in the scene and committing it to memory. My three older children playing with my younger ones.

'This is nice...' I thought as I folded my arms across my chest and leaned against one of the pillars.

"Bellethiel."

I turned to look over my shoulder and saw Thorin making his way toward me, a serene smile on his face.

"Hello Thorin." I greeted as he came to stand beside me.

"Seems you all started the fun without me." Thorin teased and I could only giggle.

"I was waiting for you to join us." I replied as I reached down to place a hand on his shoulder. "Shall we join them? I feel a little left out watching all the fun they are having."

Thorin nodded before I began to look around, noticing someone was missing...two someone's.

"Where are Fili and Kili?" I questioned.

"They were right behind me." Thorin mumbled, turning to look behind him.

"Adad! Nana!"

The two of us turned to where our children had called us to see them waving us over and I couldn't help but laugh some more as I motioned to Thorin for us to join them in the snow. I jogged forward, teasing Thorin a bit for him to catch me before jogging forward some more after seeing him take a step forward.

Laughter from behind caused me to stop and look behind to see Kili leaning on Fili, laughter racking through their bodies...but I couldn't see Thorin.

"Thorin?" I called out as I retreated back, retracing my steps.

When I got closer I saw a head sticking out from the snow, and I couldn't help but laugh when I saw that it was Thorin who had sunk into the snow.

I had tears in my eyes, which only caused Thorin to grumble more in irritation.

"I am sorry Thorin." I said through my fits of laughter, holding my abdomen as I reached up to wipe a stray tear in the corner of my eye. "I did not know the snow was so deep."

"Damn elves and their ability to walk on snow..." I heard Thorin mumble as I knelt down, balancing on the soles of my feet, staring at the dwarf that was deep in the snow.

Something colliding with my back caused me to lose my balance as I went face first into the snow.

When I got back up, the bottom half of my body now in the snow as I felt someone clinging to my neck, a child's laughter close to my hear and I smiled as I reached up to grab a hold of whoever tackled me into the snow.

Frerin's wide, toothy grin greeted me as I shook out my hair, shaking it off on my son who only laughed louder...asking me to stop in between his laughing. After I felt most of the snow was off my head I leaned my forehead against Frerin who nuzzled his nose against my own.

I heard the laughter of Antien and Estelwen as I looked beside me to see a larger hole where Thorin was. His head emerged from the hole as I saw our other two children clinging tightly to their father, the three laughing loudly...lost in their own little world.

Actually...we were all lost in our little world and failed to notice that my niece and nephews had begun to wage a snowball war against Fili and Kili.

That is...until a snowball was thrown at both Thorin and myself.

_It was a snow day for our family. Though...I felt bad that I led Thorin into the deeper end of the snow and didn't know how deep it actually was. I wonder if it's snowing in the Shire...probably not. Until the next message my dear friend._

_Bellethiel of Erebor._

* * *

**_Dear Bellethiel,_ **

**_It's been so long since we last talked, so much has happened that I think you will be in for an interesting surprise the next you visit. WE excitedly await your visit. My pantry is full in case you decide to visit with your family. How big are your now kids I wonder...oh well. Never mind that. Hope to see you soon Bellethiel._ **

**_Your friend,  
Bilbo Baggins._ **

* * *

"Bilbo?" I called out as I knocked on the circular green door with the golden knob. "Bilbo are you there?"

"Do you suppose we're late?" An innocent voice called out.

"If I remember correctly, Nana and Adad said that Mr. Bilbo said that tea's at four..." A male's voice called out. "Though...they also said that Mr. Bilbo urged us not to knock if we do visit."

"Nana, do you think Mr. Bilbo is shopping at the markets?" Another male's voice questioned, sounding much older than the other two.

"Bilbo!" I called out as I began to knock louder on the door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" I heard from the other side, more shuffling being heard from behind the door before it creaked open.

On the other side I saw the smiling face of an old friend, though now he seemed to have small streaks of white hair mingling into his brown strands.

"My word Belle! Are these your kids?" Bilbo questioned with a smile. "My word are they tall!"

"Mr. Bilbo!" My three children called out as they ducked into the hole to give Mr. Bilbo a tight hug.

"Hello Bilbo." Thorin greeted out as he stepped into the hobbit hole, patting the hobbits shoulder before enveloping the hobbit in a tight hug.

"Oh Thorin, what a nice surprise. I didn't expect you to come and visit." Bilbo said with a gleeful smile.

"Fili is watching the kingdom in my absence." Thorin said with a smile. "Next year everyone plans to make some time to come visit for you, you only turn 100 once."

"Are your nephews and niece coming as well?" Bilbo questioned as he stepped back to allow everyone inside.

"They shall be here soon." I stated with a smile before seeing my eldest son glancing curiously behind Bilbo.

"Nana...Bilbo has a little person hiding behind him." Frerin called out as he leaned sideways to get a better view at whatever was behind Bilbo."

"Ah yes, Bellethiel. Remember how I said I had a little surprise for you if you came? Well..." Bilbo stepped aside to show a little hobbit with a tuff of curly brown hair. He was shying away and attempting to hide behind Bilbo the longer we stared and I smiled down at the little hobbit that was peaking behind Bilbo.

"Well...who do we have here?" I smiled as I knelt on the ground slowly, leaning sideways to get a better view of the little hobbit.

"This here is Frodo Baggins." Bilbo said, beaming proudly. "I adopted him after his parents...well...you know..." Bilbo shuffled nervously before reaching behind him and placing a hand on the back of Frodo. "My dear boy, you remember the many stories I told you of my...adventures. Well this here is one of my dear friends Thorin and Bellethiel. You remember their story don't you? Don't be rude now, come out behind me and greet our guests."

Frodo looked up to his uncle before shuffling out from behind Bilbo, looking up at my children and Thorin before resting his eyes on me.

"Frodo Baggins...at your service." Frodo mumbled a bit nervously, though he kept his composure and never slumped.

"And at yours." I greeted as I held out my hand for him to shake, which he took very carefully before quickly bringing his hand back to his side. "I am Bellethiel, and this is my husband Thorin. These three are our children: Frerin, Antien, and Estelwen."

"I've never seen a dwarf before..." Frodo said his voice now a bit stronger as he looked between Thorin, my children and me. "nor have I seen an elf..."

"Frerin..." Thorin called out suddenly, the sudden loud voice causing Frodo to jump just a bit. "why don't you, your brother and sister take Frodo and explore. Maybe play a little game."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea Adad!" Frerin called out enthusiastically before looking down to Frodo and holding his hand out to the little hobbit. "Come Frodo, I have a wonderful game we could play...our mother taught it to us and a few other dwarves."

"What kind of game?" Frodo questioned curiously as he reached out and placed his small hands into the hands of my eldest son.

"Well..." Antien hummed before snapping his fingers. "it goes like this; we'll come up with a target...let's say we want to see how much trees we can touch. We'll go around the wooded area on the outskirts of the Shire and keep count of how much trees we can touch."

"Like a competition." Estelwen said with a calming smile as she took Frodo into her arms.

"Or we can count how many birds we spot." Frerin said with a smile as the group headed for the door. "Once their counted, others can't count them as a part of their number."

"I think I understand..." Frodo mumbled, smiling up to Frerin.

"Frerin. Antien. Estelwen." I called out to the three as they halted in their steps and turned back to look at me. "You three be careful and take good care of Frodo."

"Yes Nana." The three voiced in unison.

"And don't stay out too late." Thorin called out. "I don't think Bilbo would like it if his nephew were to stay out late in the woods."

Our children nodded before bolting out of Bag End, their laughter audible even when the door closed.

"Come come," Bilbo suddenly called out. "let's go into the dining room shall we? Would you like some tea? Wine? Ale? I stocked my pantry...anything you'd like to eat or drink I will gladly get for you."

Bilbo was already rushing ahead of us that we could hear him already shuffling in his pantry as we headed into the dining room.

"Nothing has changed..." Thorin chuckled as he took a seat. "Some ale would be good."

"Ale and some tea, thank you Bilbo." I called out. "Would you like some help?"

"Nope! You're my guest and it is my job to be a good host." Bilbo called out.

"Need I remind you Bilbo that it is also your birthday?" I called out as I sat beside Thorin.

"Is it really my birthday?" Bilbo said as he came into the dining room holding a mug and a cup that was steaming. "I seem to have forgotten."

"I highly doubt that Bilbo since you always seem to look forward to our visits." I said with a smile as I reached out and took the cup from his hands and handed Thorin his mug of ale.

"It seems like it was only yesterday that I saw your children and they reached my hip, now they're taller than Thorin. They're growing up so quickly, what are you feeding them?" Bilbo questioned.

"A feast fit for dwarves." Thorin chuckled as he took a sip from his mug.

"Soon they will be 60..." I mumbled with a fond smile. "they will reach their mature state soon...I worry they may start to think they will not need us anymore."

"Nonsense, they will always need their mother and father no matter what the age." Bilbo waved off my worries. "I mean Beriohtarion, Balamaethor, and Thenidiel are way older than your children and they stick to you like glue."

"Yeah, I suppose you are right Bilbo." I said with a smile.

"So what's everyone been doing?" Bilbo questioned. "Anything new happening in Erebor?"

* * *

"My word! What happened to you four?" I questioned urgently.

Bilbo, Thorin and I had talked all day until we heard the door open did we notice that it was night time. We had heard a bunch of laughter and when we looked up did we see my children and Frodo all covered in mud with twigs in their hair.

"We uh..." Frerin mumbled before rubbing the back of his head embarrassingly. "we ended up taking a tumble."

Bilbo could only laugh as he mentioned he too was the same when he was younger. He offered the bathroom for our children to use to clean up and get ready for dinner.

* * *

_Dearest Bilbo,_

_Something interesting happened that got everyone in the kingdom on edge. There were some unsightly visitors that came to give us a message...or more of a warning so to speak. They warned us of the evil rising in the East. We quickly dealt with them and chased them off...but we have to take a stand, we have questions that need to be answered and Thorin agrees...I know just the place that we can go to search for our answers and I plan to speak to hold a meeting between the Lords to offer my idea. Frerin, Antien, and Estelwen miss you and Frodo and they hope to see you once more. Though...with what's been going on I fear that I will not allow them to venture far from Erebor. I shall let you know if we plan to visit for your birthday once more...but I fear something bad is coming. What it is though I cannot say._

_Give Frodo my best and take good care of yourself Bilbo. Hope to see you soon._

_Best wishes from your friend,  
Bellethiel of Erebor._

* * *

**_Dear Bellethiel,_ **

**_Staying in this hole is suffocating; I long for adventure once more Bellethiel. The great outdoors...the traveling...the beautiful mountains. I'm planning something big for my 111th birthday. If you plan to come, maybe we can have one last adventure before I decide to settle...like the old days. I shall send you an invitation and keep chairs open for you and your family should you decide to come and visit with them._ **

**_Hope all goes well in Erebor my friend, until next we meet.  
Bilbo Baggins._ **

* * *

_Dearest Bilbo,_

_I am sorry to hear how much you crave to travel but can't. Whatever I can do to help I hope that you can look to me for some support. As you know your family here in Erebor will lend any assistance with whatever you need. If you need help with an annoying curious neighbor, just to let you know...we would send an army if you asked us to._

_I suppose you would find this funny...maybe my nephews, Fili and Kili's attitude finally rubbed off on me._

_Some wonderful news that I wish to share. Kili is wishing to court Tauriel, finally I suppose you would say. Fili is a bit jealous, though he says he's not...but deep down he's happy for his brother. Actually, he's got his eye on (to my surprise) a lovely elf maiden...actually he's also caught the eye of **many** lovely maidens. Though I suppose it's not really such a big surprise. His uncle is married to me while his brother had caught the eyes of a Mirkwood elf and will soon be courting her. He doesn't seem to want to settle down just yet with him succeeding his uncle, but I'm sure one day he will.  
_

_I will be sure to show up on time for your 111th birthday party._

_See you then my dear friend,  
Bellethiel of Erebor._

* * *

"Bellethiel of Erebor you are late!"

"Hm...?" I hummed as I looked up to where the voice had come from to see a hobbit smirking down at me, bright blue eyes staring down at me with mischief in his eyes.

"My word." I called out as I smiled at the hobbit. "Is that you Frodo Baggins?"

The hobbit smiled before jumping down in front of me and giving me a hug around my waist, causing me to stumble just a bit back at the force.

"Oh my, you have grown since the last I saw you!" I called out happily. "And for your information I am not late. I am right on time, well...the usual time I always arrive anyways."

"Did you come with Frerin, Antien, and Estelwen?" Frodo questioned as he began to tug on my hand. "What about Uncle Thorin?"

"I am afraid they had to stay in Erebor..." I said apologetically.

"Oh..." Frodo said sadly before his eyes lit up once more. "Gandalf just arrived and he's at Bag End visiting Uncle!"

"Oh what a reunion this will be." I said excitedly as I followed the path that led to Bag End.

"I shall leave you now Belle." Frodo said with a smile. "Got a lot to do for my uncle's party."

"I shall see you soon Frodo." I said with a smile as I waved good bye.

I turned to the gate and saw something that I knew wasn't there before when I last visited.

'No admittance except on party business?' I thought before shaking my head with a smile on my face. I opened the gate and headed toward the familiar green door, giving it a loud knock.

"Go away! I already have a guest in my house I don't want any more!" A voice called out from the other side of the door and I could only shake my head.

"It is a bit rude to turn away an old friend who may I remind you always comes to visit once every year on your birthday!" I called out before I heard a lot of shuffling on the other side of the door.

The green door opened to reveal an elder looking hobbit who instantly smiled when his eyes looked upon me.

"Bellethiel! My goodness so terribly sorry!" Bilbo said as he opened his arms welcomingly. I bent down and gave the elder hobbit a hug. He quickly let go and opened the door wide as he urged me inside. "Please please, come on come in!"

I followed Bilbo into the little hobbit hole, making sure to duck when I saw his candle chandelier and looked around the hobbit hole. Everything looked to be untouched since last year…except I noticed as I walked toward the living room. There, on the desk was the thing that started this friendship.

"I was wondering where this went…" I called out to Bilbo who came into the room I was in. "I quite forgot that you had it."

"Yes, sorry." Bilbo mumbled a bit embarrassingly. "Thorin handed it to me when we thought we couldn't enter the mountain so I figured it wouldn't be a problem to hold on to it. Has Thorin been looking for the map?"

"No, I was just wondering where it went while I was cleaning one day." I chuckled slightly.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" An elderly voice spoke out. "Is that you my dear?"

I looked to where the voice had come from and saw an elder man sitting by the fireplace with a cup in his hands, leaning by the doorframe dressed in all grey and I couldn't help but yell out in excitement.

"Gandalf the Grey!" I greeted as I went to embrace the grey wizard. "It has been ages since last we met!"

"It has been ages; I haven't seen you since your coronation." Gandalf smiled.

"You have grown old my friend…" I mumbled sadly steadying the grey wizard as the two of us went to sit at the table.

"Yes well…time does that I'm afraid." Gandalf said sadly. "But you have not aged one bit, and Bilbo even told me you had children since then! My how much you've grown…I specifically remember you saying you will never have children and that your niece and nephews were enough."

"Yes, well…minds can change." I said with a smile. "I hope you get to meet them one day."

"How are you and Thorin?" Gandalf questioned as Bilbo came to sit beside me.

"We are doing wonderful." I said with a smile.

"If possible they have grown more in love as the years passed." Bilbo chuckled from beside me as he slid a cup to myself and Gandalf.

"Will you be letting off your whiz-poppers for dear Bilbo's birthday?" I questioned as I took a sip from the cup in my hand.

"Oh well…maybe a few here and there…" Gandalf stated with that same mischievous smirk on his face…the same smirk I had seen when he had spoken to me at the Prancing Pony all those years ago.

I could only wink as the three of us spoke over tea, reliving our adventures and telling our own to what we've been up to for the past years.

"Well…would you like something to eat? I have some eggs that I can make if you like." Bilbo said before getting up to head to the pantry.

"I would like to save my appetite for the festivities tonight." I said with a smile.

"Just tea is fine." Gandalf said as he motioned to the cup by his side.

Suddenly, loud poundings at the door bought our attention to the entrance as I watched as Bilbo quickly ducked out of the way, sticking close to me…almost as if he was trying to hide in my shadow.

"Bilbo Baggins!" A shrill female voice called out as I felt Bilbo tremble beside me.

"I'm not at home." Bilbo whispered as the pounding on the door continued.

When the pounding didn't cease, Bilbo quietly crept toward one of the windows and peaked out before letting out a frustrated huff.

"It's the Sackville-Bagginses." Bilbo hissed.

"I know you're in there!" The female hobbit called out as Bilbo looked from where Gandalf and I sat and then back to the window.

"They're after the house." Bilbo said before quickly coming back into the dining area. "They've never forgiven me for living this long. I've got to get away from these confounded relatives, hanging on the bell all day, never giving me a moment's peace." Bilbo growled out as he came to the other window in our room. "I want to see mountain's again. Mountains, Gandalf and Bellethiel. And then find somewhere quiet where I can finish my book."

"And that is why I am here." I said with a sad smile. "Our last adventures and then someplace quiet."

"So you mean to go through with your plan, then?" Gandalf questioned.

"Yes, all the arrangements are made." Bilbo commented quietly. "Belle is here to escort me…to make sure that I am safe before being able to settle."

"Tell me Bilbo, does Frodo know that you are leaving?" I questioned which caused the hobbit to pause in his movements. "He does not know…does he Bilbo."

"You will tell him won't you?" Gandalf questioned as Bilbo answered with a quick yes. "He's very fond of you you know."

"Yes. I know." Bilbo stated sadly. "He'd probably come with me if I asked him…I think, in his heart, Frodo's still in love with the Shire. The woods, the fields. Little rivers." Bilbo went quiet for a second as I looked toward where Bilbo stood, staring off out of the window and at the rolling hills outside. "I'm old, Gandalf…Belle. I know I probably don't look it, but I'm beginning to feel it in my heart" Bilbo mumbled as he slowly inched his way back to my side, carefully lowering himself into the bench I was on. "I feel thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread." Bilbo looked up to me then back to Gandalf. "I need a holiday, a very long holiday, and I don't expect I shall return. In fact, I mean not to."

"Bilbo…" I mumbled sadly as I reached over and slung my arm around his shoulder, bringing the frail hobbit close to me. And in that moment…though he has aged a bit…I could feel how thin he was. He was not the same hobbit all those years ago…now it felt like by just putting a hand on his shoulder I could hurt him.

"My old friends…I can promise you this." Bilbo mumbled from beside me. "This will surely be a night to remember."

* * *

Gandalf truly out did himself this time. Every time I see his fireworks, they never cease to amaze me. They were absolutely beautiful.

There was singing and dancing, everyone was cheering and celebrating the birthday of Bilbo Baggins. Food was being passed around, the hobbits were laughing and merry…why I could see a large cake filled with candles passing through the crowd.

I have come to visit the Shire so often that the hobbits all around did not stop to stare like they used to. Quite the opposite now, many came up to me and greeted me…bowing and asking me to dance. Oh how I wished my children and Thorin could be here to see such a spectacle.

I could see Frodo dancing amongst the crowd as I clapped and cheered with the rest of the people attending this party.

More fireworks were being shot off as I moved and maneuvered my way through the crowd to get to Bilbo who seemed to be sitting in front a group of young hobbits. There he was again…ensnaring children into many of his wonderful stories of his adventures and I couldn't help but step closer and listen in.

"So there I was, at the mercy of three monstrous trolls, and they were all arguing amongst themselves about how they were going to cook us, whether it be turned on a spit or whether they should sit on us one by one and squash us into jelly." Bilbo said as he looked at the group of children, myself being a part of the listening crowd. "They spent so much time arguing the whithertos and whyfors that the sun's first light crept over the top of the trees…poof!" Bilbo exclaimed causing the group to let out a gasp in shock. "And turned them all to stone."

"Have you ever told them how you got them arguing?" I questioned suddenly bringing everyone's attention to myself. The children still looked up at me in shock, for here was an elf that towered over them while they sat; such cute little things.

"Excuse me!" A little girl's voice called out as I felt my pant legs being tugged. "Are you Ms. Belle, the legendary hero Bilbo always talks about?"

I looked down at the little girl, bending down to her height before reaching to my left side and pushing strands of hair behind my ear to show my piercings. When the children let out a gasp in shock I couldn't help but give a little wink.

A loud explosion caught my ears as I looked up to the sky to see one of Gandalf's fireworks shoot up into the sky, this one blazing bright red as it exploded in midair, brightly lighting up the night sky. Though this one was different, it took on a shape. It grew in size and then suddenly circled back around, heading in our direction. This was a shape I knew too well as the crowd around me began to run and scream.

"Ms. Belle!" The little girl with long curly black hair called out, her voice quivering and clearly frightened as I felt the children begin to huddle around me.

"Duck down!" I called out as I stooped low to the ground, the children following soon after. I could feel the wind blow past me as I watched the dragon shaped firework pass over us and fly out into the night, exploding in a large burst in the far distance.

Everyone began clapping at the finale of Gandalf's fireworks as I began to help the children back onto their feet.

"There now all better." I smiled in assurance down at the group. "Was that not simply exciting!"

The children began to yell as I ushered them to go find their parents and enjoy the festivities with them, to which they all listened and scattered away.

When everything settled down and everyone was back at their tables I could see Gandalf sitting in front of a stack of dinner plates along with two hobbits that were covered in soot washing the remaining dirty dishes and I could only chuckle as I came over to sit beside the grey wizard.

"Is it safe to assume that these two are to blame for the dragon?" I questioned curiously.

"You are correct…" Gandalf mumbled as he smoked on his pip while drinking from a small black cup.

"You two should really stay out of trouble Merry and Pippin." I scolded, which only caused the two to grumble out an apology. I guess Gandalf had already spoken to them a good long while, giving them the same scolding as well.

"Speech, Bilbo! Speech!" The crowd began to call out as Gandalf's and my attention was bought to the front of the crowd where Bilbo was.

He stood on top some barrels, looking out into the crowd as he attempted to get the rowdy crowd to settle down.

"My dear Bagginses and Boffins, Tooks and Brandybucks, Grubbs, Chubbs, Hornblowers, Bolgers, Bracegirdles, and Proudfoots." Bilbo called out as many sections of the crowd cheered at their names. "Today is my 111th birthday."

"Happy Birthday!" I cheered along with the crowd as I smiled at how happy Bilbo looked.

"But alas, eleventy-one years is far too short a time to live among such excellent and admirable Hobbits." Bilbo spoke out. "I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

The crowd quieted down, none cheering after Bilbo's little speech as I could see Gandalf smirking beside me as he watched on in amusement.

"I, uh…" All that was heard now was the crickets chirping their music in the background as I watched Bilbo reach into the pocket of his jacket, fiddling with whatever was in there. "I ha-have things to do."

Bilbo had taken something out of his pocket…and it was only once had I seen an action like that. Back after we had escaped the Goblin tunnels.

'He couldn't possible still have that thing could he?' I thought as I continued to watch on suspiciously.

"I've put this off for far too long." I heard Bilbo mumble, a weird look in his eyes as he then addressed the crowd once more. "I regret to announce this is the end. I'm going now. I bid you all a very fond farewell. Goodbye."

Suddenly, Bilbo vanished before our very eyes. The very action caused a stir up from the crowd as I could only stare in shock at what I had seen.

Simultaneously, Gandalf and I had gotten up from our seat and quickly made our way straight to Bag End.

* * *

The two of us quietly snuck into the Bag End and the moment we entered I could hear Bilbo shuffling around his house, picking up his bag and any essentials that he thought he would need.

"I shall let you handle this, my friend." I mumbled as I stood beside Gandalf by the fireplace.

Bilbo was just about to walk right past us before Gandalf spoke up, startling the giggling hobbit.

"I suppose you think that was terribly clever." Gandalf mumbled as he stared down at the hobbit.

"Come on, Gandalf." Bilbo scoffed, brushing aside the scolding stare from the both of us. "Did you see their faces?"

"There are many magic rings in this world, Bilbo Baggins, and none of them should be used lightly." Gandalf scolded as he advanced on the merry hobbit.

"Not to mention you told me in one of our letters that you had lost said ring during the battle." I added in as Bilbo turned to look at the two of us.

"It was just a bit of fun. Oh, you're probably right, as usual…the both of you." Bilbo mumbled dejectedly. Going to the fireplace and picking up his pipe before turning to look at Gandalf. "You will keep an eye on Frodo, won't you?"

"Two eyes, as often as I can spare them." Gandalf answered, watching Bilbo's every movement.

"I'm leaving everything to him." Bilbo stated as he reached out for a large red book that was left by the windowsill.

"What about this ring of yours? Is that staying too?" Gandalf questioned.

"Yes, yes." Bilbo stated. "It's in an envelope over there on the mantelpiece."

Bilbo motioned with his thumb over by the fireplace under the two pictures of his mother and father.

"Oh." Bilbo suddenly said as I kept my eye on the hobbit. "No…wait, it's…here in my pocket."

I watched as Bilbo slowly took out a golden ring with no inscriptions and I could feel the air get thick as Bilbo began to twirl it in his hand.

"Isn't that…isn't that odd, now?" Bilbo questioned as I could hear a slight chuckle in his voice. "Yes. After all, why not? Why shouldn't I keep it?"

Bilbo was whispering now, talking to himself or the ring I did not know…but I began to worry for my dear friend. This was unlike him.

"I think you should leave the ring behind, Bilbo." Gandalf suggested. "Is that so hard?"

Bilbo swiftly turned around, looking up at Gandalf.

"Well, no…" Bilbo said but suddenly his eyes changed once more. A look I had seen before as well…a look of greed. That deranged look that had scared me once when it was on my husband. "And yes. When it comes to it I don't feel like parting with it. It's mine. I found it! It came to me!"

Bilbo began to growl as I tensed up in my spot and came to quickly stand beside Gandalf. One who is like that…you never know what they could do. I learned the hard way back then and I didn't want to take much of a chance.

"Bilbo…" I quietly whispered a slight warning to calm himself.

"There's no need to get angry." Gandalf calmly stated as he too studied our friend that stood in front of us.

"Well, if I'm angry, it's your fault!" Bilbo lashed out.

"Bilbo!" I called out urgently, but he did not seem to flinch at the sound of my voice.

"It's mine." Bilbo voiced out eerily. "My own. My precious."

"Precious?" Gandalf questioned and I gritted my teeth…what had happened to my friend. "It's been called that before, but not by you."

Bilbo turned around swiftly, letting out a snarl as he glared at the two of us.

"What business is it of yours what I do with my own things?" Bilbo snarled as he retreated back the way he came.

"I think you've had that ring quite long enough." Gandalf stated as the two of us watched the defensive hobbit.

"You want it for yourself!" Bilbo accused which only caused the anger in Gandalf to boil over at the irrational behavior of an old friend.

"Bilbo Baggins!" Gandalf's voice echoed all around as the blackness began to shroud around us, beginning to grow as Bilbo backed away in fear. "Do not take me for some conjurer of cheap tricks. I am not trying to rob you." The rumbling around us began to fade as Gandalf calmed down as the darkness faded back to where they came. "I am trying…to help you."

Bilbo began to tremble, his voice quiver as he closed the gap between Gandalf and himself, giving him a hug around the waist as Gandalf patted his head in assurance that all will be fine.

"All your long years, we've been friends." Gandalf said as he stooped to Bilbo's height, looking up to me as I smiled and came to stand close to Bilbo, reaching out and patting his head. "Trust me as you once did. Let it go."

Bilbo looked around before looking up at me in question, to which I only smiled a bit and nodded. The shroud of greed that had clouded his eyes were now gone and I saw my friend once more.

"You're right, Gandalf." Bilbo nodded as he looked back to Gandalf. "The ring must go to Frodo."

Bilbo began to gather his things, shrugging his bag on as he took his walking stick.

"It's late. The road is long." Bilbo said as he went toward the door. "Yes, it is time. Shall we Belle?"

"Bilbo." I called out causing the hobbit to stop just as he was about to exit Bag End. "The ring is still in your pocket."

Bilbo turned to look at us before chuckling. He reached into his pocket, staring at the ring for a good long while before letting it drop to the floor and escaping out of the hobbit hole.

Gandalf and I followed Bilbo out as we watched Bilbo stand there for a couple of seconds, looking up into the sky and all the stars that twinkled in the night.

"I thought up an ending for my book." Bilbo suddenly stated as he turned to look back at us, a large smile on his face. "'And he lived happily ever after, till the end of his days.'"

"And I'm sure you will, my dear friend." Gandalf said as he knelt down to reach for Bilbo's hand.

"Goodbye, Gandalf." Bilbo said as the two shook hands.

"Goodbye, dear Bilbo." Gandalf said with a smile, winking a small bit as Bilbo turned to walk down the path, singing a happy tune before stopping a bit far away and turned back to us.

"Are you coming Belle?" Bilbo called out as he waited expectently for me to follow.

I began to follow before Gandalf reached out to stop me.

"That ring." Gandalf mumbled as I turned to look at him. "I fear the worst is yet to come…"

"Could it be that it was right under our noses all this time?" I mumbled as I waved to Bilbo, assuring that I will be right behind him.

"I…I do not know." Gandalf spoke honestly. "I'll be in touch."

"Our land is protected; we already got some unsightly visitors who delivered to us a warning." I assured Gandalf. "I must go now Gandalf. Until our next meeting."

I smiled to Gandalf as I rushed after Bilbo, quickly catching up to him as my old friend turned to smile up at me.

"I'm…so sorry about what happened back there Belle." Bilbo mumbled a bit embarrassingly.

"No Bilbo, there is no need to apologize." I said with a shake of my head. "Now then, let us enjoy this adventure we are on."

"Is…Thorin alright with you being away for a while?" Bilbo questioned curiously.

"He and the children will be missing me terribly, but he said that he wanted our longtime family friend to be safe on his travels." I assured Bilbo. "Though, he does want me to return home as soon as you are settled."

"Same old Thorin?" Bilbo questioned with a chuckle as I laughed along with him.


	16. The Council of Strangers

'Imladris...' I thought as I pulled on the reigns of my horse, jumping off as I soothed the magnificent beast beside me. 'Last I was here was when I had escorted Bilbo on his last adventure...'

We had something to accomplish here and I was interested to see the reaction that I would get when I walked through the gates.

I was dressed in my finest garb. My regular black get up...slightly different from when I had arrived at the Shire all those years ago. My black tunic and leggings, black boots and a cape fastened securely around my neck. On my cape I bare the crest of Durin's folk and I held my head high as I passed through the archway leading into Imladris.

I was sent here along with a few many dwarves to represent our Kingdom. Though, mingling along my company were my nephews and my children who insisted they come with in order to visit their dear uncle.

The years that have passed have molded them into fine and honorable elves. Though, as much as a headache I thought my nephews were when taking orders...my children have taken on their stubbornness and it only intensified with the dwarf genes mingling in them. They would not take no for an answer when I had told them that they need to stay in Erebor, protected in the walls of our home. But in time I had to give in, the world outside always called to them...always urging them to go on an adventure. And I have taught them enough fighting skills that my eldest son has outmatched the skills of Fili, Kili and Dwalin put together.

"You three must promise to stay out of trouble." I ordered as I turned to my children. "I have some business to attend to and you three will stay with Mister Bilbo."

"Yes Nana." Frerin said with a nod as he smiled and reached out to give me a long hug.

"You need not worry about us Nana." Antien said. "We have given you no reason to worry. We've been on our best behavior."

"You will tell us everything that happens in this counsel won't you?" Frerin questioned.

"Only if I deem it something worth you three knowing." I mumbled as I brushed them off. "Go now, I think Bilbo will be quite happy and surprised to see you three."

Mu children smiled eagerly at each other before running off into Imladris, but not before Estelwen turned to give me a kiss on the cheek before catching up with her brothers.

I watched them go before they disappeared from my sight and I couldn't help but worry for them the moment I couldn't see them.

"They'll be fine Nana." Beriohtarion commented as he came to my side.

"You can't coddle them their whole lives." Balamaethor said as he came to bump into my shoulder.

"No, but I can try." I said with a slight chuckle before leading us further into the city. "Let us go or we will be late."

"Aren't we always late?" Balamaethor questioned.

"Yes, but this is a gathering that we cannot be late to..." I mumbled.

"Welcome back my Queen!"

I turned to the sound of my name to see Lindir bow in my direction and I smiled as I went over to give the black haired elf a welcoming embrace.

"Lindir!" I called out in surprise. "My has it been a long time. I am here to see Lord Elrond."

"This way my lady." Lindir said as he turned to lead us to where the elf lord would be.

"Now Lindir, I think we have known each other long enough to not have you call me by such formalities." I chuckled as I came to walk beside the elf.

"Well after hearing of you becoming Queen, I thought it was fitting." Lindir commented from beside me. "I heard your children are also visiting."

"Yes, to see dear Bilbo." I said with a smile. "They would not take no for an answer."

"Yes well...when both parents are as stubborn as an ox children do tend to take on such a trait." Lindir commented. "Here we are."

Lindir had led me to one of the look outs and when I lifted my head I saw Gandalf already speaking to Lord Elrond and I could only smile.

"My Lord Elrond, Gandalf!" I called out as I began walking toward them.

"Ah, my dear!" Gandalf called out as he met me half way and enveloped me in an embrace.

"Lady Bellethiel." Lord Elrond called to me as he came to give me an embrace as well. "It has been far too long."

"Yes, I am sorry I could not stay longer when I had visited with Bilbo." I apologized as I turned to my nephews and dismissed them to find my children and wait with them. "I had to take my leave back to Erebor, there were duties that still needed attending and my family missed me dearly."

"That's understandable." Lord Elrond said as he began to walk back before stopping to look over one of the balcony.

I followed his gaze and saw that they were watching Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee talking in the courtyard below.

"I did not know Frodo will be here as well." I commented in surprise.

"Yes, well...there is a reason why we are here." Gandalf commented. "The Ring...has returned I'm afraid. The ring wraiths chased Frodo all the way to Rivendell... **He** is searching for that ring and it is calling to him."

I tensed in my spot as I watched the two hobbits down below.

"After all this time..." I sighed with a shake of my head. "I am a bit surprised at his resilience to the ring and the evil it holds. So...what happens now?"

"The enemy is moving." Lord Elrond commented turning to address Gandalf and myself. "Sauron's forces are massing in the East. His Eye is fixed on Rivendell. And Saruman, you tell me, has betrayed us."

'Betrayed us?' I thought in surprise as I turned to Gandalf.

"Our list of allies grows thin." Elrond said.

"His treachery runs deeper than you know." Gandalf said gravely. "Saruman has crossed Orcs with Goblin-men. He's breeding an army in the caverns of Isengard, an army that can move in sunlight and cover great distance at speed. Saruman is coming for the Ring."

"This evil cannot be concealed by the power of Elves." Lord Elrond said. "We do not have the strength to fight both Mordor and Isengard."

"You have the backing of Erebor if that is the help you need." I proclaimed as I stepped forward. "Our defenses are high...I think he fears sending an army our way. He has already failed once...his attention will be more on these lands than ours. We can surprise him with our forces lending assistance and adding to the numbers."

"I will not ask your family to put their lives in danger once more. You need your warriors to protect your land...you and I know that Bellethiel." Lord Elrond said with a shake of his head. "The Ring cannot stay here. We cannot conceal its power...its Master is calling to it and they will find it here...it's dangerous to keep it here."

"We have to figure out what to do with it then..." I mumbled as I sighed sadly. "another war will rise out of this...and I hate to think how many lives this will consume as well."

"This peril belongs to all Middle-Earth. They must decide now how to end it. The time of the Elves is over. My people are leaving these shores. Who will you look to when we've gone? The Dwarves? They hide in their mountains, seeking riches. They care nothing for the troubles of others." Elrond commented as he took a glance to me. "No offense Bellethiel."

"None taken, though as someone who rules over a kingdom of dwarves I will have to say that not all dwarves are like that Lord Elrond." I commented a bit defensively, causing Lord Elrond to back down a bit. "The dwarves of Erebor will answer your call should you need us I assure you Gandalf."

Suddenly, I remembered why I was here to begin with.

"You can continue your conversation without me but there is something urgent that I must ask that my friends in the mountain urgently need answers to. Do you happen to know...what happened to our friends in Moria?" I questioned. "We have not heard from them in ages...and many of us fear the worse."

Gandalf did not look at me as I asked the question, nor did he answer...but he did not need to for I already had my answer just by the look in his eyes.

"They will not be returning back to the kingdom..." I mumbled sadly. "Balin, Ori, and Oin..."

I quickly walked passed them to leave with a heavy heart, my mind jumbled in a mass at having to deliver such bad news to the families back at the kingdom.

"Bellethiel." Gandalf called out as I stopped in my tracks. "Many are coming to Imladris at the request of Lord Elrond...I hope you stay for this gathering to hear what we have to say."

"I will not leave until I know everything I need to know about this oncoming danger before returning to Erebor..." I commented before leaving. "Just send someone to retrieve me and I will sit in on this gathering."

I walked through Imladris, mindlessly wondering in any direction mu feet would take me before I found exactly what I was looking for, or...more like they found me.

"Belle."

During one of the rooms I had passed a frail, shakey voice called out to me and when I retraced my steps back I saw my children sitting around the only bed in the room, my nephews and niece relaxing in the chairs beside it. And sitting on the bed was Bilbo, though age has caught up to him in the past several months he still had that jovial smile I always remembered he had.

"Hello Bilbo." I said with a smile as I came into the room to stand before Bilbo. "I hope my children have been on their best behavior while I was away."

"They were angels." Bilbo commented with a wink. "Every time I see them they seem to grow more and more into fine young adult elves. Frerin and Antien are starting to look more like Thorin every time I see them while Estelwen is starting to look just as beautiful as you."

"Such flattery." I said with a chuckle. "How have you been Bilbo? I do hope your stay here in Imladris has been pleasant."

"It has been very peaceful. Though I had wished to go back, wonder the powers of Mirkwood, visit Lake-town...see the Lonely Mountain once more. But age, it seems, has finally caught up with me." Bilbo mumbled a bit sadly as he looked to all of us seated in the room. "But, living here isn't so bad I suppose, nothing like the rooms in Erebor." Gandal smirked, giving me a wink before his eyes widened in realization. "Oh!"

Bilbo reached behind him and bought out a large red leather book and quickly reached out to place it in my hands.

"I finally finished it." Bilbo beamed proudly as I carefully took the book into my hands. "I think it turned out quite nicely."

"There and Back Again...A Hobbit's Tale by Bilbo Baggins." I read the first page of the book as I went over to sit beside Bilbo, flipping through the pages as I saw many wonders that he had drawn. Maps redrawn and weapons that were recreated in his book. There was some writing in Khuzdul that I had recognized and I smiled as Bilbo retold his adventures with an elf and a company of thirteen on a epic quest to reclaim a homeland. "It is amazing Bilbo."

"I thought you would like it." Bilbo said as I placed the book back into his hands. "There are some drawings that I have included that Ori had drawn of all of us. And it was a wonderful project to pass the time."

"What will you do now Bilbo?" Estelwen questioned.

"To live out the rest of my life here I suppose." Bilbo mumbled after he pondered the question for a few seconds with a serene smile on his face. "I do not plan to return to the Shire..."

My children began to speak to Bilbo, telling him of the adventures they had gone on...their adventure to visit Thranduil's realm and I think Bilbo was quite glad to hear of their tales. And every so often he would tell them of his own experience traveling with Thorin and myself.

Even though the children had heard of the stories of their parents adventures many times, it was a classic bed time story for when they were little...they listened intently as Bilbo retold his experience. Hanging on to every word he spoke as he listened intently.

"Lady Bellethiel."

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked to where the voice had come from to see Lindir standing at the entrance way.

"Lord Elrond wishes for your presence...there are many people gathering already for the meeting that's about to take place." Lindir mumbled with a smile.

I nodded my head as I looked back to Bilbo and my family.

"I shall return once this is over, do not cause Bilbo any stress while I am away." I ordered as I turned back to Lindir. "Lead the way."

Lindir led me to an open area where many chairs were situated and it was there that I saw someone I had not seen in ages.

"Legolas?" I questioned as the blonde elf turned in my direction, a smile lighting up his face.

"Bellethiel, is that you?" Legolas questioned as he ran toward me, bringing me in for a tight embrace. "I have not seen you in a very long time!"

"I could say the same for you!" I laughed out loud as I returned the hug. "You disappeared after the battle and no one could tell me where you went off to. Other than your father who said you went searching for a Dúnadan ranger."

Legolas's expression fell as he looked down a bit sadly.

"My father..." Legolas mumbled a bit sadly. "how does he fair?"

"The same as always, stubborn and regal...nothing much has changed." I said with a smile. "He misses you dearly though. I am sure he would be pleased when I report that I have seen you and that you are well. Though there are many things that you have missed in your absence."

"Why do you bear the mark of Durin?" A rough voice questioned.

I turned around to see a group of dwarves had arrived; some paid me no mind while the others looked at me like I had offended them somehow.

"I represent the kingdom of Erebor Master Dwarf." I stated plainly as I could feel a slight tension between the elves I was speaking to and the dwarves that had arrived.

"An elf representing our greatest Kingdom?" Another dwarf questioned before scoffing. "They must be out of their minds."

"You hold your tongue when you speak to Lady Bellethiel." Another dwarf spoke out, stepping forward to stand in front of me.

"Hello Gimli." I greeted as the said dwarf turned to smile back up at me.

"My Queen." Gimli said with a bow before turning back to the dwarves. "You are speaking to the Queen of Erebor, I suggest you show a little more respect."

"Queen?" Legolas questioned as I smiled a bit bashfully at the sudden attention from the elves and the dwarves present.

"Yes, well...I did say you missed a few things in your absence." I said as I smiled to Legolas. "You missed my marriage, my coronation and the birth of my children."

"My goodness a lot **has** changed in 60 years." Legolas commented before he smiled at me. "I'm happy that everything has been going well for you and congratulations on becoming a Queen and a mother."

"I shall introduce you to my children once this is over." I assured before I noticed more people pouring into the meeting place. "I should go and take a seat where I belong, but we shall talk more once this is over."

As more people filed into the little courtyard area, chatter began to escalate, all wondering why we were gathered here today as I took my place beside Gimli and when Lord Elrond entered into the clearing all the chatter ceased as all attention was averted to the elf Lord who had begun to speak.

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old, you have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor." Lord Elrond spoke out slowly. "Middle-Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite, or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom."

I looked around the room and saw the places that each stranger represented, though one struck me as a familiar. A man with dark hair dressed in all black with eyes that looked familiar to me, though I could only speculate at this point but...it was no doubt in my mind who I thought it was.

"Bring forth the Ring, Frodo." Lord Elrond commanded as I saw the hobbit beside Gandalf get up from his chair and reach into his pocket, slowly making his way to the pedestal as he placed the Ring in the center of the pedestal.

"So it is true." A man with light brown hair breathed out as I stared at the evil thing before me. The tension in the air thick as silence settled amongst us, none dared to breathe as everyone began to whisper to themselves and to the people beside them.

The same man stood up as he began to speak to everyone present.

"In a dream, I saw the eastern sky grow dark, but in the West, a pale light lingered. A voice was crying: 'Your doom is near at hand. Isildur's Bane is found.' Isildur's Bane."

I watched a craving in his eye as he slowly stepped close to the pedestal and began to reach for the ring and I glared as I watched a cloud drift in front of his eyes, eyes that were entranced by the Ring.

"Boromir!" Lord Elrond called out as Gandalf began to speak, the ground beneath us began to tremble as his speech grew in volume.

" **Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul** (One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them)." His voice had changed so drastically it was as if something else had taken over him. It was menacing, powerful, and harsh as stone. As the words were recited a shadow seemed to pass over the high sun and the area around us grew dark. Everyone present began to tremble, and I had stopped my ears from listening.

Once the black speech had subsided, the rumbling began to subside as Elrond looked on in irritation.

"Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris." Lord Elrond stated in anger as Gandalf took a step back in exhaustion.

"I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond, for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West! The Ring is altogether evil." Gandalf spoke out to all of us.

"It is a gift, a gift to the foes of Mordor." Boromir spoke out as he stood up and walked around. "Why not use this Ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people, are your lands kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him."

"You cannot wield such a thing!" I spoke out in irritation as I saw the glimmer in his eyes sparkle. "I understand the lives you have lost, but if you were to hold such a thing you will fall just as Isildur had. It will corrupt your soul and you will be forever lost."

I growled out as I stood up and went right up to Boromir.

"I understand your frustration of fighting a battle so long...losing any hope of winning, but to resort to using that Ring...there will be no winning with something like that." I grumbled. "The only thing you will be succeeding in is delivering the weapon into the hands of its Master. Then you will be to blame for the world falling into darkness...your countless battles to keep the lands safe will be counted for not."

"Lady Bellethiel is right, The One Ring answers to Sauron alone." The man with the dark hair spoke out as our attention was averted to him. "It has no other master."

"And what would a Ranger know of this matter?" Boromir questioned.

"This is no mere Ranger." Legolas interrupted as he came to stand beside me. "He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."

I looked to the Ranger, holding his gaze for only a moment before placing a hand to my chest and bowing slightly to him...my assumption being proven correct as I now knew where I had seen such eyes before.

"Aragorn." Boromir spoke out as he held a smirk on his face. " _This_ is Isildur's heir?"

"And heir to the throne of Gondor." Legolas commented causing Aragorn to place his hand out to Legolas.

 _"Havo dad, Legolas (Sit down, Legolas)."_ Aragorn spoke out as I slowly inched my way back to my seat beside Gimli, watching the scene with curiosity.

"Gondor has no king." Boromir scoffed as he looked back to Aragorn, making his way back to his seat. "Gondor needs no king."

"Aragorn and Bellethiel are right. We cannot use it." Gandalf said as Lord Elrond stood up.

"You have only once choice. The Ring must be destroyed." Lord Elrond said as I saw the defeated look in Boromir's eyes and I could only sigh in frustration as I looked back to the ring.

"What are we waiting for?" Gimli suddenly said as he got to his feet, axe in his hands.

"Wait Gimli!" I called out to the red head dwarf, but it was too late. He had slammed his axe down upon the ring, letting out a loud shout...but the only good it did was breaking his axe and force him away. The Ring remained untouched and unscratched as pieces of metal scattered around it.

'Like Father like son...' I thought with a slight smirk as I went over the help the red headed dwarf back to his feet.

"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft that we here possess. The ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came." Lord Elrond advised as he looked to everyone in this room. "One of you must do this."

"One does not simply walk into Mordor." Boromir spoke out first after a second of silence. "Its Black Gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep, and the Great Eye is ever-watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is poisonous fume. Not with 10,000 Men could you do this. It is folly."

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" Legolas questioned as he stood quickly back to his feet. Glaring dangerously at the doubtful man. "The Ring must be destroyed."

"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it!" Gimli growled out.

"And if we fail, what then?" Boromir questioned as he too got to his feet. "What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?"

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" Gimli growled out to Legolas as he jumped onto his feet, the comment peaked my interest as I watched in amusement the glare between the elf and the dwarf.

Shouting erupted as everyone stood on their feet, Legolas holding his kin back as the two got dangerously close together. Yelling and arguing continued as people got into the faces of anyone who spoke against their own words and opinion. I could simply place a hand over my eyes and sigh in frustration.

'What good is all of this...?' I thought as I shook my head and watched on in irritation.

"Don't any of you understand? While you bicker amongst yourselves Sauron's power grows! No one can escape it! You'll all be destroyed!" I heard Gandalf yell above the group, only adding to the unnecessary noise, but my attention was averted elsewhere...to a little hobbit who was staring intently at the ring on the pedestal.

"I will take it!" I suddenly heard Frodo say; though his voice was soft and drowned out by most I could hear the faint whisper. And though I felt bad for the hobbit who would carry such a burden I got up from my chair.

"SILENCE!" I yelled out, instantly causing everyone in the courtyard to cease their shouting, their attention turning from me to the hobbit behind Gandalf.

"I will take the Ring to Mordor." Frodo voiced out, a bit stronger this time as I smiled sadly at the young hobbit. "Though...I do not know the way."

"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear." Gandalf volunteered as he went to stand behind Frodo.

"If by my life or death I can protect you, I will." Aragorn said as he stood up from his chair and made his way to Frodo, kneeling in front of him. "You have my sword."

"And you have my bow." Legolas called out.

"And my ax." Gimli said proudly, the two going over to stand by Legolas as I saw a slight unbelievable expression I suppose you could say cross Legolas's feature.

"You carry the fates of us all, little one." Boromir commented. "If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done."

"Here!" A sudden voice called out as I heard the rustling of bushes as Sam came to sneak his way to Frodo's side. "Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me."

"No, indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret Council and you are not." Lord Elrond said with a quirk of his brow and a slight smirk on his face.

"Wait, we're coming too!" Another voice called out. Two more hobbits running up the stairs and to Frodo's side and I couldn't help but laugh at the scene before me

'Sneaky little hobbits...' I thought with a smirk.

"You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us." Merry said with a smile.

"Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission...quest...thing." Pippin said as he stood tall and looked up to Lord Elrond.

"Well, that rules you out, Pip." Merry said.

"And what about you?" Lord Elrond questioned, his eyes lingering on me as the nine and everyone in the courtyard turned to look at me.

"Me?" I questioned as I pointed to myself.

"I would've thought you would be the first to volunteer...after all, you helped a Baggins once. Will you not do it again?" Lord Elrond questioned with a smirk.

I looked to the group of companions before smiling and shaking my head.

"I think one bow is enough for this adventure." I commented. "As much as I would lay down my sword to help a friend...I have a family to look after now and a kingdom that needs my ever watchful eyes."

Lord Elrond nodded his head before looking to the group in front of him.

"Nine companions. So be it." Lord Elrond stated. "You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."

"Great." Pippin said with a smile. "Where are we going?"

I could only smirk as everyone else in the courtyard vanished and went about to talking amongst themselves before going up to Gimli.

"So...never trust an elf I see?" I teased as Gimli could only look away in embarrassment.

"You and the elves of Erebor are a different story Lady Bellethiel." Gimli mumbled. "I was simply stating it for the elves that we barely know."

"I see..." I said with a laugh before looking sadly down at the dwarf. "you best take care of yourself or your father will have a few choice words for me when I return and we find out something terrible happened to you."

"You can tell my father that I will be fine." Gimli said with a smile.

"I have much to report to Thorin once I return to the mountain." I said as I reached out a placed a hand on his shoulder. "Take care of yourself and please...look after Frodo for me."

"You have my word Lady Bellethiel." Gimli said with a bow.

"Take care on this adventure Gimli..." I leaned down and placed a kiss to his forehead. "come back home safe..."

Gimli smiled up at me before leaving back to his quarters as I went to where Legolas was standing, a slight disgust playing on his face.

"I'll never understand your fascination for dwarves." Legolas commented as he began to walk with me.

"They are a nice race...once you get to know them." I commented with a smirk.

"I hope not to get to know them." Legolas grumbled from beside me.

"Well...you are traveling with Gimli; he may prove to be a loyal friend in the future." I said with a smirk.

"Gimli...that was that red headed dwarf's son that I had met in Mirkwood isn't it." Legolas commented.

"The goblin mutant." I recited exactly what he had said. "If you or Gimli comes back and I find out you two became good friends I get to say I told you so."

"Be quiet Belle and do not joke about such things." Legolas grumbled as I laughed at his pouting face. We arrived at the room I knew Bilbo was in before we knew it.

Inside the room were my children but I also saw Frodo standing beside his uncle who was sitting on the bed...he looked to be crying.

"What happened?" I questioned, bringing the attention of everyone in the room to myself.

"Legolas?" Beriohtarion questioned as he got up to greet the blonde haired dwarf.

It was a nice reunion as my nephews and niece greeted the elf warmly while introducing my children to him. They seemed to be getting along splendidly and as their attention was elsewhere I made my way to Bilbo and Frodo.

I went to sit beside Bilbo as I placed my arm around Bilbo's shoulder, bringing the crying hobbit close to me.

"Do not cry Bilbo..." I pleaded as I rubbed his shoulder comfortingly.

Bilbo slowly started to calm himself as he whipped the edges of his eyes before nodding to me, smiling a bit as I nodded back to him, making sure he was okay before looking back to Frodo.

"I am sorry Frodo that I cannot accompany you on this journey." I mumbled my apology as I got back onto my feet.

"No, this is not your burden to bear." Frodo mumbled with a smile. "I understand you have a family to look after, a kingdom to look after, and you've already done enough for this family with my uncle. Not to mention I think Uncle Thorin will be upset if you were to set off and not return to him."

I laughed along with Bilbo and Frodo, the three of us already knowing how Thorin would react should I not return to the kingdom with my children. And in that instant I noticed what Frodo was wearing.

"Mithril..." I commented as I went over and placed a hand on his suit of armor. "given to Bilbo as a gift from Thorin."

I smiled as I knelt to Frodo's eye sight.

"I may not be able to go on this adventure with you..." I commented. "but with the aid of this Mithril shirt...we will be there in spirit watching over you."

Frodo suddenly reached around and hugged me around my neck as I carefully laced my arm around him.

"I'm...a bit afraid Aunt Belle..." Frodo mumbled and I reached up to pat his head.

"Do not be afraid Frodo...I have faith that you can do this, just stay strong and keep your head high. Rely on your friends." I mumbled. "I wish you all the luck in the world Frodo Baggins of the Shire."


	17. A Very Fond Farewell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really love the song The Last Goodbye by Bill Boyd. Amazing and heartfelt song.

It was a beautiful day today; the birds were singing and the sun high in the sun...the light reflecting off the water before me as the water rippled calmly on such a peaceful day. I could smell the salty sea breeze drift on by every so often when the wind would pick up and I closed my eyes, enjoying the peace before our friends came to join us.

I stood on one of the boards close to the water as I stared down at my reflection, the years had not aged me one bit and though most in my race would be contempt about that I sometimes would envy those that led a mortal life. To be able to age with your friends, to age with the one you love instead of living to a point where you have outlived everyone that you know.

I suppose in the years that past, I would sometimes think of such depressing subjects such as that...but there is always someone who will interrupt where my thoughts would take me.

"Nana?"

Frerin's reflection came to stand beside me as I looked as his reflection in the water.

"Yes Frerin?" I questioned as I turned to my son who smiled happily at me.

"They're here." Frerin said as he motioned with his head toward the entrance way.

I followed his gaze to see Lady Galadriel, Lord Celeborn and Lord Elrond making their way toward us. Instantly, my children came to my side and the seven of us bowed in respect and greeting to them.

When Lady Galadriel came to stand in front of us she nodded her head to us with a beautiful smile gracing her face.

"So these are your children." Lady Galadriel said as she looked to both Frerin and Antien. "Your sons are beginning to look so much like their father." Lady Galadriel then looked to my daughter Estelwen. "And your daughter's beauty blooms every day."

"Thank you Lady Galadriel." My three children voiced out in unison as they smiled happily to each other.

"They have such strength within them, you and Thorin have done well raising them this far" Lady Galadriel commented as she came to stand in front of me.

"Thank you my Lady." I said with another bow.

"It has been a very long time since the last I had seen you Bellethiel." Lady Galadriel said.

"Too long." I mumbled with a sad smile. "It is a shame that after so long, we meet at last only to say a final farewell."

"So you will not be joining us." Lady Galadriel said, though it was not a question but a statement as she smiled at me...clearly already knowing my answer.

"No, I will not be leaving with you." I stated glancing to my children with a happy smile. "My children, my husband and my family need me...and I have people who depend on me. I cannot leave...and even if I could leave I would choose to stay. I feel as if I am still not in very good standing with the Valar."

"Then, my dear Bellethiel, I wish you all the happiness this world has to offer in the times to come." Lady Galadriel said with a smile as Lord Celeborn came to stand beside his wife.

"Bellethiel..."

I turned to Lord Elrond who smiled sadly at me as he came to give me a tight and warm embrace.

"I'm sad to hear that you will not be joining us." Lord Elrond said after he had pulled away, his hands still on both of my shoulders. "Have your friends decided to stay as well?"

I shook my head as I looked back to the elf Lord with the same expression that was on his face.

"They had said that they would not leave unless I did, but I knew from their eyes that the seas called to them. If they were to stay here they would be unhappy, and with everything they have done for me I could not ask for them to stay." I mumbled with a heavy heart. "I had ordered everyone to travel West to the boats. Tirananniel, Mellimeldisiel...they all had set sail to the West."

"And yet," Lord Elrond mumbled, looking past me to my children. "I see your niece and nephews are still here."

"Yes well..." I chuckled a bit as I looked over my shoulder to my family. "they insisted that they would not leave no matter how hard I insisted that they should. I even went so far as to pushing them out of the Kingdom. But...they would not leave."

"The sea does not call to them as it does to many of us." Lady Galadriel said. "To them...this is home."

"I have a favor to ask Belle." Lord Elrond commented, bringing my attention back to my old friend. "My daughter, Arwen...is not sailing with us. She has decided to stay here in Middle-Earth. She is staying with King Aragorn in Gondor...she has chosen a mortal life. So, I ask that when Aragorn passes on to the next life...that you watch over her so that she is not alone in her time of grief."

"I will send her a message when I hear of the passing of the King of Gondor." I assured with a smile. "Do not worry Lord Elrond; she will be taken care of when the time comes. For all that you have done for me and my kin...this is the least I can do. But even by doing this...it still does not compare to what you have done for me. It still does not amount to your kindness you have shown to us."

Lord Elrond laughed and I could see the tears in the corner of his eyes...he will miss his daughter dearly, but he cannot stay here.

 _"Novaer (Farewell) Bellethiel."_ Lord Elrond said.

 _"Novaer...my Lord Elrond."_ I said with a bow as he too bowed down to me.

"Nana," Estelwen called out. "there are people approaching."

Lord Elrond went to stand beside Lord Celeborn as I went back to standing with my children as a group of people came toward us. There were five hobbits, two had been leading an elderly one toward us and trailing behind was an old man dressed all in white. And though the appearance of the man had changed, he still had that same warm smile I had grown accustomed to.

When the old hobbit looked up, he looked quite surprised, and a spark lit up in his eyes as he looked upon our group.

"Oh!" The old hobbit mumbled, his voice cracking just a bit. "Well, here's a sight I have never seen before."

"Hello Bilbo." I called out with a fond smile as I watched him bow toward Lord Elrond who in return bowed back.

"The power of the Three Rings is ended." Lady Galadriel called out. "The time has come...for the dominion of Men."

 _"I Aear cân ven na mar (The sea calls us home)."_ Lord Elrond spoke out as Bilbo smiled in our direction as he began to nod.

"I think...I'm quite ready for another adventure." Bilbo mumbled in excitement as he began to make his way toward us, wobbling just a bit.

I quickly walked forward, meeting the hobbit half way as I stopped in front of him.

"Belle..." Bilbo mumbled as I kneeled in front of him.

"Hello Bilbo, my old friend." I greeted. "The children are here to see their favorite uncle."

"Your children?" Bilbo mumbled as my family came to stand around the hobbit. "It's been so long I hardly recognized them."

"Hello uncle." Estelwen said as she knelt beside me, reaching out to place a hand on Bilbo's. "Are you excited to go on another adventure?"

"Very." Bilbo said as he smiled, the corner of his eyes crinkled as the sparkle in his eyes grew. "Will you three be joining me this time with your mother?"

"I'm afraid we can't Bilbo..." Antien mumbled sadly. "Where you're going...we cannot follow."

"Oh..." Bilbo mumbled a bit dejectedly. "that's too bad...I was quite hoping for another adventure with you Belle."

"I know Bilbo." I mumbled as I reached out and bought the hobbit close to me into my arms. "I am going to miss you my dear friend."

I felt Bilbo, with shaky arms reach up and encircle his arms around my neck as he held on tightly and I could feel his body shake. I heard a few sniffles before I carefully let go, where my arms once were was replaced by my children who began to sniffle as they said their farewells to their favorite uncle.

Once they had let go, Bilbo lifted his sleeve to wipe the remaining stray tears from his eyes as he looked back up to me.

"Will Thorin be coming?" Bilbo questioned.

I smiled knowingly before winking, reaching into my coat pocket to hand Bilbo an envelope with the mark of Durin sealing the letter shut. Bilbo could only smile a sad smile, nodding as he took the envelope gingerly into his hands and made his way passed me...before stopping.

"I will miss you Belle..." Bilbo mumbled a bit sadly. "The adventure that started it all...gave me friendships that have lasted all my life...I have cherished every minute of it…thank you Belle. Farewell."

"Farewell...Master Burglar." I said down to the hobbit who only laughed as he walked up to Lord Elrond, the two of them making their way onto the boat together, followed by Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn.

"Hello my dear." Another elderly voice called out and when I turned, that same smile was what greeted me and I could feel my heart clench at such a sight.

"Hello...Gandalf the Grey." I said before smirking just a bit, quirking one of my brows as I looked over his attire. I bowed ever so slightly with a small smirk. "I mean...Gandalf the White."

Gandalf had opened his arms and I quickly closed the gap between us, holding the white wizard tightly as he laughed out loud while patting my back.

"You take care of yourself my dear..." I heard Gandalf mutter as he pulled away. "take care of your children, your family, and...take care of Thorin."

"I am always taking care of my dwarf." I chuckled as I reached up and wiped a single tear that began to fall. "I will miss you dearly my old friend."

"And I will miss you as well." Gandalf mumbled.

"So this is the end of our journey..." I mumbled sadly which only caused Gandalf to laugh.

"The end? No my dear...I think that we will see each other again. Maybe not in this life...but this is not good bye. Just simply a farewell...a word that holds promise that we will meet again." Gandalf smiled with a wink.

"Then farewell...Gandalf." I mumbled as I watched Gandalf walk away, my children saying their goodbyes to the wizard before Gandalf turned and looked behind me.

"It is time Frodo." Gandalf called as I turned back to the group of hobbits that held tears in their eyes as they looked in confusion back and forth between Gandalf and Frodo.

"What does he mean?" Sam questioned.

"We set out to save the Shire, Sam." Frodo stated. "And it has been saved...but not for me."

"You don't mean that." Sam said in a pleading tone, his voice cracking just a bit as I could hear the sadness in his voice. "You can't leave."

I watched as Frodo bought out a thick red book, the same book I had seen Bilbo writing in when we were in Rivendell as he handed it to Sam.

"The last pages are for you, Sam." Frodo stated quietly as he went over to say his goodbyes to his friends as more tears fell from their eyes.

From behind me I could hear my niece and my daughter crying as well, being moved by such a sad scene and I followed Frodo as he made his way to me, stopping right in front of me.

"Good bye...Aunt Belle." Frodo said, his blue eyes now a dull color...one full of sadness as I reached out and patted his head. A gesture I had done once before to Bilbo and many times when I had seen him at such a young age.

"You have grown so much since the last I had seen you Frodo Baggins. You are not the same hobbit who left Rivendell all those years ago." I said with a smile. "Farewell...Frodo."

Frodo smiled up at me, reaching out and wrapping his arms around my waist. I slung one of my arms around him and gave the hobbit a tight squeeze before letting go. As Frodo walked past me to my children, I turned to follow his movements with my eyes as my children took him in to a group hug before letting him go. All of us present watched as he walked up to Gandalf, taking his hand as they boarded the last ship to leave Middle-Earth. And for the last time, Frodo turned to us with a big smile on his face...the last we would see of them.

I watched as the ship left the docks, setting sail through the only opening in this river and toward the sun...disappearing forever to the land beyond.

"Come you three." I mumbled once the ship was out of sight, lifting my sleeve up to wipe away the tears that had fallen due to having said goodbye to friends I would never see again. I turned to the three hobbits behind me and smiled the best that I could. "We shall escort you back home."

* * *

I could feel the boat start to move and I smiled, looking back toward the docks to see Belle watching the boat leave. It could've been a trick of my eyes, the sun playing tricks on me...or in my old age I've become delirious, but I could've sworn I saw people standing around Belle and her children.

It was the company.

They were all smiling at me while some where waving at the boat. Thorin was standing beside Belle as I saw him staring right at me, bowing ever so slightly with a smile on his face to which I returned very fondly. My friends were able to make it.

I snapped out of my thoughts and rubbed my eyes and in that instant the images of my friends disappeared leaving only Belle and her children standing at the dock alone. It was just a figment of my imagination, but I knew my friends were there to see me off.

'Farewell everyone.' I thought as I relaxed in my seat, closing my eyes as I fell asleep. Listening to the sounds of the waves gently hitting the sides of the boat.

* * *

The walk back was silent; none would dare talk for they still felt the pain of losing a dear friend...even my children dared not to speak for they too did not know what to say.

When had dropped off Merry and Pippin to their respected homes, after exchanging goodbye and welcomed hugs...only then did my children decide to talk when we were standing in front of the hobbit hole that belonged to Sam and his family.

"We'll get our horses ready Nana..." Frerin said quietly as he walked past me. "We'll meet you at the Green Dragon Inn."

"Of course." I said with a nod. "Be careful all of you."

My children mustered up a small smile before bidding Sam goodbye as they took off in the direction of the Inn.

"Miss Bellethiel?" Sam questioned as he looked up at me. "What happens now?"

"What happens now?" I repeated curiously.

"What will you do now?" Sam questioned.

"I will...go back to the mountain." I mumbled with a small smile. "Life...will go on."

"Will you...be coming back to the Shire?" Sam questioned a bit nervously.

"I think...I think this will be the last we return to the Shire..." I said a bit honestly. "There is not much else here for me...the past years I came to visit every time for Bilbo's birthday but now..."

I looked down to Sam who looked a bit sad...which is understandable. During the times I had come to visit Frodo and Bilbo; Sam, Merry, and Pippin would sometimes join us for supper during the times of our visit. We had not only gotten to know Frodo but we had gotten to know his friends as well.

"But...if I do come to visit I will be sure to inform you...though our visits will not be as frequent as before." I said causing Sam to brighten up in hope just a bit.

"I understand Miss Bellethiel." Sam stated before reaching up and taking my hand. "I want to show you something Miss."

Sam began to lead me toward Bag End, and once at the familiar green door Sam had opened it and led me inside.

"Frodo had made Bag End my responsibility now...and I figured that due to the stories Mister Bilbo had told us when we were little that you may want this." Sam said as he raced off to a different part of Bag End. I heard the rustling of fabric and the clanking of something opening and closing before he raced back to where I was standing.

In his arms he held a small sword and a framed map...the sword that Bilbo and Frodo held during their adventure and the map of Erebor.

"I have no use for these...and if it's just left here it'll just collect dust." Sam mumbled as he held the items out to me. "I mean...it may collect dust in the kingdom, but I think this would be well taken care of there then if it were to stay in this house."

"Thank you Sam..." I said with a smile as I reached out and carefully took the items into my arms.

"And..." Sam said as he reached into his coat and took out the leather red book that Frodo had given him. "I would want you to have this."

"No Sam..." I said as I lifted my hand up to push the book back to him. "I cannot have this; Frodo had given it to you so you could write in the last few pages of the book. It is yours to fill up."

"I think Bilbo would've wanted you to have it Miss Bellethiel." Sam said as he took my hand and placed the book in it. "I was just their gardener. I don't feel it is right for me to have it. Frodo finally finished it...you can tell everyone of the bravery of bravery of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins of the Shire."

I opened the book carefully to the first page and saw the neat handwriting of both Frodo and Bilbo.

"There and Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale by Bilbo Baggins." I read as I looked to the title below it. "& The Lord of the Rings by Frodo Baggins."

And inside the book, after the first page was a white handkerchief that was neatly folded...the same handkerchief that I had given Bilbo when we first set out on our adventure together with a company of 13 dwarves and a wizard.

I looked down to Sam and reached out to pat his head...it seems to be a gesture I save for only the hobbits I considered close. Sam smiled up to me happily which only caused me to smile back.

"I can tell everyone of the bravery of hobbits; of Merry, Pippin, Frodo, Bilbo...and of Samwise the Brave." I mumbled. "Come, let us get you home."

I ushered Sam out of the door and I took one final glance inside Bag End...memories playing out before me.

* * *

_"Gandalf." Bellethiel greeted plainly. "Two holes I went to and they were not a Baggins. If a Baggins had not answered the door I would have left." Bellethiel said motioning to her surroundings. "I have been stuck in the rain for some time...would be nice to be inside somewhere warm and dry. If you do not mind me tracking in some mud and water."_

_"By all means!" Bilbo called out, throwing his arms up, clearly frazzled and irritated. "It's already been done anyway!"_

* * *

_**"Mithrandir, do you know what you have done." Bellethiel grumbled in irritation.** _

_**"I understand Bellethiel, but just let me do the talking when it comes to convincing the dwarves, to convincing Thorin, of your importance in this company." Gandalf said taking a glance in the direction of the company, who still continued to glance their way.** _

_**"So that is Thorin Oakenshield..." Bellethiel mumbled a bit surprised as she looked toward the dwarf seated at the end of the table.** _

* * *

_"I will not have an elf apart of this company." Thorin sneered, turning his glare in Bellethiel's direction._

_"Bellethiel is offering us her service, she is a great warrior, she knows the lands better than most, and she has knowledge that matches my own, she will be of great help." Gandalf defended. "As I have said Thorin, there is no room for argument here."_

* * *

_**"We maybe few in number, but we're fighters, all of us, to the last dwarf!" Fili said, slamming his hand upon the table.** _

_**"And you forget, we have a wizard in our company. Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time." Kili called out.** _

* * *

_"The Lonely Mountain." Bilbo mumbled with a candle in his hand._

* * *

_**"That's why we need a burglar." Ori piped in.** _

_**"Hm, a good one too. An expert, I'd imagine." Bilbo added in as he brought the attention of the company to him.** _

_**"And are you?" Gloin asked.** _

_**"Am I what?" Bilbo asked after looking up to Bellethiel before looking back to the company.** _

_**"He said he's an expert! Hey hey!" Oin called cheerfully as everyone else began to cheer.** _

* * *

_"Sorry lass, I do not have a contract written for you I'm afraid, we were never informed that another would be joining us on this quest. I shall get one to you immediately." Balin apologized._

_"It is perfectly alright Master Balin," Bellethiel waved off, moving to look above Bilbo, bending a bit to look at his contract. "I do not require payment, and there will be no need for funeral arrangements. And if I am to die on this journey due to injury then it is no one's fault but my own." Bellethiel said in a mundane matter as she took a step away from Bilbo._

* * *

_**"Hmm. Nope." Bilbo commented before he fell flat onto the floor, passed out.** _

* * *

_"Elf." A gruff voice rumbled as Bellethiel turned to see Thorin standing in front of Balin in the walkway._

_"Is there something I can do for you Master Thorin?" Bellethiel addressed, keeping her manners._

_"Leave." Thorin said getting straight to the point. "We do not require the assistance from your kind. You are not wanted among us."_

_"When is one ever wanted?" Bellethiel commented as the two leaders stared at each other. "As much as I want to honor your request...I cannot." Bellethiel stated, noticing the anger flare in Thorin's eyes._

_"I will not share the wealth of my people with elves." Thorin growled out._

_"I have said before, I do not want your gold. What use is it to someone who lives in the woods?" Bellethiel stated._

_"Then what do you gain through this journey? If not for the gold...then?" Balin asked curiously._

_Bellethiel looked away from the two dwarfs, thinking on her next words before looking back to Thorin, holding his gaze._

_"Nothing that concerns you."_

* * *

_**"Erebor, Thorin, Smaug, and I can only assume where this journeys path will follow. I am too old for this Gandalf, is my distress amusing to you..." Bellethiel questioned to the grey wizard.** _

* * *

_"You may be here because of the wizard," Thorin called out. "But you will never be a part of this company, and know you are not welcomed or wanted among my kin. You will leave on your own accord."_

* * *

_**"The Queen has arrived!" Kili called out with a smile as he and his brother greeted Bellethiel.** _

_**"Nana!" Three children called out as they ran toward Bellethiel as soon as she entered the house.** _

_**Bellethiel smiled as she knelt down and opened her arms as the three children ran into her waiting embrace.** _

_**"Queen..." Bilbo said a bit baffled as he began to sway side to side. "they're your children..."** _

_**"Bilbo, are you okay?" Thenidiel questioned as Bellethiel and Thorin turned to Bilbo.** _

_**"You're alive..." Bilbo was finally able to speak out.** _

_**Bilbo's eyes suddenly rolled to the back of his head as he suddenly fainted, collapsing onto the ground unconscious.** _

_**"Is he going to be okay Nana?" Estelwen asked.** _

* * *

_The nights they all had come to visit, reunited with their burglar and longtime cherished friend. Bilbo had the biggest smile that night and proclaimed that it was the best birthday celebration he had ever had. There was singing and dancing as Bilbo frantically watched as the company threw his plates around and sang that catchy tune that irritated Bilbo to no ends...but entertained the children throughout the night._

* * *

_**The day they had met Frodo for the first time, Bellethiel's children now standing close to the ceiling as they crowded around the little child, the three of them taking Frodo out to play a little game while Bilbo, Thorin and Bellethiel sat at the table; exchanging stories from both sides.** _

* * *

_The times Bellethiel had spent with Bilbo alone as they sipped tea by the fireplace, talking about everything and anything that came to their mind. Even the times when Bellethiel had bought her children when they were still little, hearing their feet running on the wooden floor as Bilbo and Belle tried to get them under control. The two of them running frantically around Bag End, chasing the children around. Sometimes playing a game her children picked up from the children in Dale called Hide-and-Seek. Most of the times Bilbo was always the person seeking due to her children always nominating him._

* * *

So many memories flashed before my eyes...when they suddenly came to a stop. Now, the house was empty and void of sound...void of life.

I smiled warmly at the house that held so many fond memories, and for the last time I exited the house of Bilbo Baggins...closing it shut and locking it before turning my back to the familiar green door. An ache in my heart for I did not hear the words Bilbo would always say before I left:

' _I shall see you next year Belle.'_

"Let us leave Sam." I said as I held the sword and map in one hand while tucking the book tightly under my arms.

* * *

Home.

We were home and the kingdom welcomed us back with open arms, everyone had been eagerly waiting for us to return.

My children had given me a hug before running off somewhere, quite possibly to find and greet their aunt and cousins.

Me? I went straight to finding my husband...in my journey; I had found myself missing my husband, more so after having said goodbye to Bilbo and Gandalf.

"Welcome back my Queen."

"Greetings Frár." I said with a smile. "Have you seen my husband?"

"He had retired to his room early; he was pretty busy today and grew tired." Frár said with a smile. "He missed you terribly my Queen. Sometimes he would pace and mumble to himself, wondering when you would return."

"He always worries for me even though there is no need to." I said with a fond smile. "I shall go and see my husband. Have a good day Frár."

"And to you my Queen." Frár said with a bow as I walked past him and toward the room I share with Thorin.

When I reached our door, I didn't bother knocking and went right in. I smiled when I saw a lump lying in my bed. Thorin's back was toward me and I could see him shuffle a bit as his peppered black hair moved ever so slightly, the grey in his hair more now then before.

"I'm not in the mood right now." I heard Thorin mumble as he pulled the blanket closer to him. "Leave me be."

"Would you really want me to leave Thorin?" I questioned playfully, chuckling a bit as I saw the lump under the covers still its movement. I carefully placed Bilbo's sword, the framed map, and the red leather book on the table in our room before looking back at the lump on the bed "And here I came all this way to see my dear husband."

The covers instantly were thrown off as Thorin turned to glance my way, a slight shock on his face.

"But, I suppose if you want me to leave...I shall leave you be." I said with a smirk as I turned to go back out the door.

"You will stay." I heard Thorin order as I heard the shuffling of the covers on the bed move around and footsteps began making their way to me. I felt arms wrap tightly around my middle and some pressure on my back. "When did you return?"

"Not too long ago." I mumbled as I placed a hand lovingly over Thorin's.

Thorin released his embrace and took one of my hands, leading me back to the bed as the two of us, got in, laying on top of the bed. I cuddled close to Thorin as I lay my head on his chest, the two of us settling into a peaceful silence.

"How...how was Bilbo?" Thorin questioned after a while. "Was he upset that we couldn't make it?"

"No," I said as I shook my head. "he was smiling all the way. He was excited to go on another adventure. I am sure that he understood that you were busy."

I heard Thorin sigh before feeling his body slump just a bit.

"After the war, the kingdom needed to be carefully watched...they needed me, depended on me, so much so that I couldn't even see my friend off." Thorin mumbled, his voice full of guilt.

I reached out and took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"He was not upset at you Thorin." I assured him. "I gave him the note you wrote and I am sure he is reading it now as the boat set sails to Undying Lands. Do not be upset my King."

Thorin looked down at me before placing a light kiss to my forehead.

"The kingdom seems to empty without the elves..." Thorin commented. "maybe you should've left with your kin as well..."

"And leave you and our children alone?" I questioned a bit. "You would condemn me to an immortal life without you?"

Thorin was about to say something before I beat him to it.

"I would rather choose a life with you, then a life without my family." I mumbled. "Lord Elrond had said 'The sea calls us home,' but not to me. Here with you is my home...the sea does not call to me one bit. I could not live with myself if I were to leave you and our children alone. I would be miserable."

"Belle..." Thorin mumbled, before I felt his arm around me tighten...bringing me closer to him.

"I love you Thorin, and I will always choose you and our family over all." I mumbled as I snuggled closer. "My family has always been important to me, and they always will be. I could not bear to leave you."

I lifted my head and placed a kiss to his lips. It took some time for him to react before he placed his hand on the back of my neck, bringing me (if possible) closer to him.

The door slamming open caused us to instantly separate as the two of us looked toward the door to see our children running to us and jumping onto our bed causing all of us to jump due to the sudden weight.

"Adad!" The three yelled as they tackled Thorin and myself.

"You three are too old to be jumping into our bed!" Thorin yelled though he was laughing at the antics of our children.

I giggled as I watched the sight of my children talking; flailing their arms as they animatedly told their father of their adventures from the Shire to Erebor. My heart swelled at such a beautiful sight as I leaned my head on the back of the bed, listening to my children and Thorin's laughter echoing around the room.

"Nana!"

I looked to the door to see my other children running into the door, jumping to land on top of my other children...all of them now a jumbled mess of tangled limps and all I could hear was a groan coming from Thorin due to the added weight.

"What is going on?" I questioned with a smile as all six of them smiled up to me.

"Nothing, we just thought we'd get in on this little gathering." Balamaethor said with a smile.

"Not to mention Frerin took something from me and I would very much like it back." Beriohtarion said with a slight glare to Frerin who he had in a head lock.

"This bed...is not big enough for all of us..." I heard Thorin's muffled voice. "As much as I love all of you...please get off."

The six laughed before untangling themselves and sitting lazily on our bed...everyone talking happily together.

'This is my family...' I smiled as snuggled into Thorin's side more. 'our family...and I am excited for what the future holds for us.'

I looked to all my children who were either talking amongst themselves loudly or telling Thorin a story and with all the noise I slowly started to succumb to my exhaustion after coming back from the long journey.

'I am so blessed…I have a loving husband and amazing children that I'm so proud of. ' I thought before feeling myself slip into unconsciousness. 'Guess being a rebel wasn't such a bad thing after all.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end, I am and have been working on another 'sequel' to this series which would be the final final story to this whole series, but I have no confirm date when I will publish it. This for now is the end of the journey and I thank you so very much from the bottom of my heart for reading.

**Author's Note:**

> If you are enjoying this story or looking forward to more chapters then leave a nice little comment and kudos just to let me know. But you don't have to if you don't want to, though it's greatly appreciated. Thank you everyone once again for reading and I hope you're all staying safe out there! Sending lots of love and aloha your way!  
> -SO


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